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THE 

First  Ascent  of  the  Kasai 

BEING  SOME  RECORDS  OF  SERVICE 

UNDER  THE   LONE   STAR. 


BY 


CHARLES    SOMERVILLE    LATROBE    BATEMAN, 

SOMETIME    CAPTAIN    AND    ADJUTANT   OF   GENDARMERIE    IN 
THE   CONGO   FREE   STATE. 


WITH  FIFTY-SEVEN  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  TWO  MAPS  REPRODUCED 
FROM  THE  AUTHOR'S  ORIGINAL  DRAWINGS. 


NEW    YORK: 

DODD,     MEAD    &    COMPANY. 

7  53   AND  755   BROADWAY. 

1889. 


TO 

H.    B. 

IN    GRATEFUL    ACKNOWLEDGMENT    OF    MUCH    GENEROUS 
SYMPATHY   AND   HELP 


Xlbis  MorF? 


IS    AFFECTIONATELY    INSCRIBED 
BY  HEE  NEPHEW 

THE  AUTHOR 


PREFACE. 


At  a  time  when  so  many  narratives  of  African  travel, 
adventure,  and  discovery  are  before  the  reading  world,  the 
appearance  of  a  new  volume,  which  must  be  classed  with 
works  of  that  description,  undoubtedly  demands  some  few 
words  of  apology  and  introduction. 

It  is  necessary,  therefore,  for  me  to  explain  that  the 
following  narrative,  forming,  in  point  of  fact,  a  monograph 
on  the  Bashilange-Baluba  nation,  is  the  record  of  my  later 
experiences  in  the  service  of  the  Congo  State  :  a  service 
which  I  had  entered  shortly  before  the  A.I.  A.  obtained  full 
political  recognition  in  its  consolidated  form  as  the  Free 
State  of  the  Congo. 

Were  my  object  in  making  public  any  portion  of  my 
African  life  merely  the  gratification  of  the  love  of  adventure 
or  of  the  marvellous,  or  were  it  the  exhibition  of  myself  as 
an  actor  in  scenes  of  tragic  incident,  I  should  have  selected 
for  publication  the  story  of  the  first  few  months  of  my 
service  under  the  State.  But  although  the  object  of  this 
work  precludes  my  giving  the  detail  of  those  occurrences. 


viii  PREFACE. 

yet,  as  they  introduced  me  to  the  country  and  the  life  I 
am  about  to  describe,  I  feel  that  at  least  the  outline  of 
them,  60  far  as  it  shapes  my  story,  must  be  presented  to  my 
readers. 

For  several  years  previous  to  my  engagement  with  the 
State,  I  had  resided  on  the  south-west  coast  of  Africa,  chiefly 
at  Mayumba,  where  I  represented  a  Liverpool  trading  firm, 
and  was  consequently  prepared  for  many  of  the  difficulties 
with  which,  on  accepting  service  early  in  1884  under  Captain 
Grant-Elliott,  I  almost  immediately  found  myself  environed. 
These  difficulties  were  occasioned  mainly  by  the  presence 
upon  the  coast  of  an  European  and  semi-European  popu- 
lation of  mixed  nationality  but  almost  unmixed  villainy  : 
a  population  consisting  for  the  most  part  of  Portuguese 
criminals  and  British  outcasts,  with  a  fair  sprinkling  of  un- 
fortunate people  of  various  nations  and  all  ranks.  Their 
entire  immunity  from  all  control  of  law,  the  license  of  their 
lives,  and  their  relations  with  the  natives,  naturally  disposed 
them  against  the  introduction  of  anything  resembling  regular 
government,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  inevitable  collision 
with  these  people  are  indelibly  burnt  into  my  memory.  I 
began  my  work  at  Mayumba  by  annexing  to  the  then  Kwilo 
Province  of  the  State  (since  ceded  to  France)  the  country 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood,  and  thereafter  proceeding 
to  the  Upper  Nyanga,  concluded  in  that  hitherto  unexplored 
district  treaties  of  annexation  wdth  the  chiefs. 

Appointed  in  July    1884   to  the    adjutancy   of  gendar- 


PREFA  CE.  ix 

merie  at  Grantville,  I  saw  some  active  service  in  troubles 
arising  from  the  conflict  of  jurisdiction  between  the  French 
and  Congo  authorities,  and,  in  company  with  the  late  Lieut. 
Hurt,  R.N.,  made  a  complete  route  survey  of  the  country 
between  the  Mayumba  lagoon  and  the  Kwilo-Niadi  at 
Franktown,  the  chief  features  of  which  have  become  known 
to  the  public,  and  are  incorporated  in  the  most  recent  maps. 
After  moving  to  Massabe  in  the  November  following,  I  was 
appointed  (on  the  cession  of  the  Kwilo  Province)  to  the 
adjutancy  of  the  camp  of  instruction  then  in  course  of  for- 
mation at  Lutet^,  in  the  basin  of  the  Lower  Congo.  It  was 
while  I  was  in  command  there  that  Dr.  Wolf  arrived,  having 
left  at  Leopoldville  the  main  body  of  Lieut.  Wissmann's  expe- 
dition. At  Lutete  he  met  Sir  Francis  de  Winton,  K.C.M.G., 
at  that  time  commanding  the  Province,  and  as  a  result  of 
their  meeting  I  was  despatched  under  Dr.  Wolfs  command 
in  charge  of  the  Bashilange-Baluba  auxiliaries  of  the  German 
expedition  on  their  return  to  their  own  country :  the  nar- 
rative of  which  return  and  its  immediate  sequel  form  the 
subject-matter  of  these  pages. 

Doubtless  the  chief  claim  to  novelty  and  interest  that 
my  little  work  may  be  held  to  possess  is  a  superficial  one, 
and  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  less  a  record  of  discovery  than 
of  life  in  a  newly  discovered  land,  and  is  a  fair  illustration 
of  the  raison  cVetre  and  practical  working  of  the  Congo 
State.  But  in  transcribing  the  bare  jottings  of  my  diary 
have  had    more    than    one    object    in   view — aims   which 


X  PREFACE. 

sharply  differentiate  my  work  from  those  of  African  travellers 
properly  so  called,  and  which  constitute  the  best  apology 
for  its  existence. 

I  have,  in  the  first  place,  wished,  without  being  tiresomely 
statistical  and  technical,  to  give,  in  the  broad  interests  of 
science,  as  exact  and  lively  a  representation  of  places  and 
things,  climate,  scenery,  and  people,  as  my  ability  allowed  ; 
and  to  achieve  this  end  the  better,  I  have  been  careful  to 
describe  as  best  I  might,  not  merely  the  outward  appear- 
ance of  things,  but  the  impression  produced  on  my  own 
mind  and  heart  by  the  circumstances  occurring  around  me 
and  by  the  scenery  through  which  I  passed. 

In  the  next  place,  in  the  interests  of  trade,  as  well  as  of 
my  class,  I  have  endeavoured  to  make  my  remarks  as  to 
house-building,  planting,  and  some  few  processes,  game  and 
hunting,  and  administrative  and  military  routine,  as  full, 
explicit,  and  practical  as  without  prolixity  I  could. 

In  the  cause  of  humanity  and  philanthropy,  of  the  mis- 
sionary and  honest  trader,  I  have  endeavoured  to  expose 
the  covert  slave-trade  carried  on  by  the  Angolese  subjects 
of  Portugal.  It  is,  however,  but  right  that  I  should  draw 
attention  to  the  difference  existing  between  slave -own- 
ing and  slave-dealing.  So  far  as  I  can  see,  slavery  must 
exist  in  the  regions  watered  by  the  Congo  and  its  tributaries 
for  a  very  long  period  to  come :  its  suppression,  were  it 
possible,  would  lead  to  anarchy  and  misery  without  con- 
ceivable limits.     But  slave-dealing  is  quite  another  matter. 


PREFACE. 


and  it  is  practically  suppressed  in  the  limits  of  the  Congo 
State,  except  where,  at  its  east  and  north-eastern  extremity, 
the  Arab  invasion  carries  with  it  the  curses  of  murder, 
misery,  and  devastation.  In  the  same  interests,  too,  I 
devote  considerable  space  to  the  description  of  several  in- 
teresting races  in  addition  to  the  Bashilange-Baluba,  and 
have  given  accounts  more  or  less  minute  of  such  singular 
characters  as  Chilunga  Meso,  and  of  such  organisations  of 
evil  as  the  Lubuku  brotherhood. 

I  have  ventured  thus  to  point  out  the  practical  value  I 
have  sought  to  impart  to  the  following  narrative,  because 
works  of  the  kind  are  too  apt  to  be  looked  upon  as  enter- 
taining reading  merely,  and  where  they  fail  to  arnuse  they 
fail  altogether.  I  wish  to  amuse,  but  I  wish  also  to 
instruct. 

I  have  viewed  the  story,  too,  as  a  portion  of  my  own 
experiences  :  it  is  but  fair  that  I  should  note  that  it  is 
possessed  of  a  much  higher  claim  to  public  attention.  It 
gives  in  a  succinct  form  no  inconsiderable  section  of  the 
discoveries  of  the  German  expedition  under  Lieut.  Wiss- 
mann  and  Dr.  Wolf,  in  which  the  paths  of  other  explorers, 
Livingstone  and  Cameron,  Stanley  and  others,  are  crossed 
and  united. 

I  have  but  few  literary  or  artistic  obligations  to  acknow- 
ledge, but  I  have  to  thank  Lieut.  Massari  of  the  Royal  Italian 
Navy  for  the  gift  of  a  rough  chart  of  the  lower  portion  of  the 
Kasai,  which  has  been  of  service  to  me.     My  eldest  brother, 


PREFACE. 


the  Rev.  J.  H.  Latrobe  Bateman,  has  acted  as  my  amanuensis 
throughout,  and  has  undertaken  the  superintendence  of  my 
work  in  the  press.  I  trust  I  have  not  misrepresented  the 
opinions  of  any  traveller,  but  I  must  confess  that  to  arrive  at 
an  exact  estimate  of  their  precise  scope  and  value  has  not 
been  in  every  instance  an  easy  task. 

In  conclusion,  I  have  to  observe  that  there  is  one  sub- 
ject conspicuous  by  its  almost  entire  absence  from  my 
narrative :  I  allude  to  the  progress  of  religious  effort  in 
ameliorating  the  social  and  intellectual  condition  of  the 
people.  For  my  own  part,  although  a  member  of  the  Church 
of  England,  I  am  content  to  view  religion  as  a  personal 
rather  than  an  ecclesiastical  question,  and  can  be  perfectly, 
and,  shall  I  say  ?  cheaply,  tolerant  of  all  who  dissent  from 
that  form  to  which  I  from  habitude  assent.  Had  I  therefore 
seen  anything  that  interested  me  or  struck  me  as  being 
specially  hopeful  in  the  composition  or  conduct  of  the 
Baptist  and  other  Reformed  Missions  in  the  State,  I  would 
gladly  have  recorded  it ;  but  I  did  not.  Beyond  Mr. 
Darling's  (Baptist)  devotion  to  his  work,  and  his  extreme 
kindness  to  me  when  I  was  ill  and  helpless,  and  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Baptist  missionary  steamer  Peace — an  admir- 
able boat,  which  they  contrived  to  launch  on  the  Upper 
Congo  for  a  tithe  of  what  the  Stanley  cost — I  saw  nothing 
that  calls  for  comment  or  acknowledgment.  I  would  not, 
however,  be  misunderstood  on  this  point.  An  earnest 
pioneer  of  religion  has  a  much  better  chance  in  his  isolation 


PREFACE.  xiii 

of  acting  also  as  a  pioneer  of  civilisation  than  has  the 
secular  trader.  I  state  that  which  is  within  my  own  expe- 
rience, when  I  say  that  whenever  an  European  is  settled 
amongst  savages  one  of  two  processes  immediately  begins  : 
either  he  raises  them  towards  his  level  or  they  drag  him 
down  to  theirs.  The  European  is  constantly  confronted  with 
the  cheapness  and  utter  insecurity  of  human  life  on  the  one 
hand,  while  on  the  other  he  observes  the  ease  with  which  the 
means  of  living  and  of  merely  animal  gratification  are  ob- 
tained. To  live — eating,  drinking,  sleeping,  becomes  to  him 
the  whole  of  life  ;  it  unconsciously  sinks  into  his  heart  that 
nothing  higher  need  be  thought  of,  and  if  he  looks  around 
on  what,  so  far,  the  introduction  of  government  stations  and 
the  like  has  done  for  the  negro,  he  is  encouraged  to  ask 
indeed  cui  hono  ?  But  a  religious  missionary  has  at  all 
events  within  himself  the  ever-abiding  conviction  that — 

"  'Tis  not  the  whole  of  life  to  live, 
Nor  all  of  death  to  die." 

C.  S.  LATKOBE  BATEMAN. 

Carlisle,  January  1889. 


NOTE    ON    THE    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  whole  of  the  Illustrations  are  produced  from  the 
Author's  original  sketches  in  pencil,  water-colour,  pen  and 
ink,  or  sepia,  either  made  on  the  spot,  or  from  views  finished 
at  leisure  from  rapidly  drawn  outlines  accompanied  by 
written  directions  entered  in  his  sketch-book  :  none  are 
derived  directly  or  indirectly  from  photographs ;  the  photo- 
graphic apparatus  belonging  to  the  expedition  having  be- 
come useless  during  transit.  The  principal  sketches — origi- 
nally made  in  pencil  or  sepia — are  represented  in  this  work 
by  six  etchings,  whose  beauty  has  been  greatly  enhanced 
by  the  exquisite  art  and  skill  displayed  in  the  process  by 
Mr.  S.  Myers  (a  fact  which  the  Author  desires  here  grate- 
fully to  acknowledge),  while  five  water-colours  have  been 
most  carefully  printed  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  original 
colours :  the  engraved  vignettes,  &c.,  represent  indiscrimi- 
nately sketches  originally  made  in  colour  and  in  black  and 
white,  but  are  much  reduced  in  size.  With  regard  to  the 
view  of  Leopoldville,  the  Author  desires  to  remark  that  it 
represents  exactly  that  station  as  it  appeared  when  the 
expedition  started  for  the  Kasai  in  1885  :  it  has  since  been 
very  greatly  changed. 


CONTENTS. 


PACK 

The  Preface  vii 

Note  on  the  Illustrations •      .  xiv 

The  Argument i 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  personnel  of  the  party — Stanley  Pool  described — Start  from  Kiiichasa — 
Wrecked — ^Yretched  night  and  day — Recrinuiiations — Nocturnal  ahxrm — 
We  contrive  to  communicate  with  Leopoldville — Repairs — The  fresli  start — 
The  skipper's  parrot— Congo  scenery — The  tropical  forest — Msuata        .        .       3 


CHAPTER  II. 

Kwamouth  and  the  Kwa — Narrative  of  Wissmann's  discovery  and  descent  of 
the  Kasai — The  Baluba  and  their  neighbours — Our  departure — Scenery  on 
the  Kwa — Deserted  Wabuma  village  and  heronry — Castellated  rocks— Tlie 
Musjie  villages  and  their  Queen — The  Nzali  Mpini — Woodcutting— The 
Kwango 15 


CHAPTER  III. 

Huts  at  Bosjie — River  nomenclature — Forest  villages  and  market-places — 
Excellent  native  iron-work — Mount  Pogge — Probable  embouchure  of  the 
Lukenye — Curious  luits — Timidity  of  inliabitants — An  uncomfortable  night 
— Hippopotami,  1)nfraIoc3,  and  cowbirds — xVccident  to  tlie  Sfcoi/c;/ — Hostility 
of  Basongo-Meno — Their  towns  and  jiunishment — A  jovial  chief — Repairs 
to  Stanlei/ — Tlie  expedition  nearly  blown  up^The  Luangi — An  unknown 
tribe — A  night  upon  the  river 


xvi  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PAGE 

The  Sankoro — River  nomenclature  again  discussed — Tlie  relative  magnitude  of 
the  Sankoro  and  the  Kasai — A  picnic— Aquatic  birds — Bakuba  country- 
reached — A  theft  and  quarrel — The  En  Avant  constantly  aground — Price 
of  provisions — Friendly  natives — The  Lulua  described — Its  fish  and  fisher- 
men— The  end  of  our  voyage .50 


CHAPTER  V. 

Luebo— Its  environs  and  our  neighbours — The  station  site — Departure  of  the 
Stanley — The  log-house — Calemba  leaves  for  Kashia-Calemba  followed  by 
Dr.  Wolf — Clearing,  levelling,  and  building — Kassenge  and  its  j^lantations — 
Habits  and  customs  of  the  Bakfet^ — Their  preparations  of  tobacco  and 
cassava — Christmas  festivities — Daily  routine  in  station — i\Iy  hospitalities — 
Sunday  in  Central  Africa— Return  of  Dr.  Wolf  for  the  New  Year — His 
departure  in  En  Avant  for  further  exploration  of  Sankoro — Tragic  deatli 
of  native  girl 63 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Portuguese  traders— Senhores  Saturnino,  Carvalho,  y  Custodio — Their  history 
and  trade — Custodio's  advice  to  Dr.  Pogge — Carvalho's  letter — The  partner's 
api)lication  at  Luebo — Saturnino  and  the  Zingas — The  dispute  arranged — 
Zingas  and  their  country — Progress  of  the  station  buildings — The  Krupp 
howitzer— Dr.  Wolf's  return  and  the  results  of  his  voyage — An  agreeable  (?) 
surprise 81 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Dr.  Wolf  attempts  to  ascend  the  Kasai — The  En  Avant  disabled — A  perilous 
project — The  Peace  arrives  'svith  Lieut.  Wissmann  on  board,  and  departs 
towing  the  En  Avant  down  to  Leopoldville — Vander  Felson's  farewell — 
Wissmann  and  Wolf  go  to  Luluaburg,  and  thereafter  explore  the  Kas.ai  up 
to  its  first  falls — -The  Stanley  arrives  at  Luebo — Adventure  of  the  Baron 
de  Schwerin — Results  of  Messrs.  Wissmann  and  Wolf's  excursion  to  the 
Kasai — Our  journey  to  Luluaburg— The  neighbouring  natives — Incidents 
of  the  march — Accident  at  the  Miaw — Luluaburg — Congolemosch — Kashia- 
Calemba  and  the  King — Lu])uku  and  Ihiamba-smoking  .         .         .        .99 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PACK 

Chilunga  Meso  and  liis  visions — Tiie  burning  brandy — Senhor  Caxavalla — His 
friendship  with  Chilunga  Meso— Kasongo  and  tlie  embassj'^  from  Ulungu — 
My  return  to  Luebo — General  description  of  the  route — Duniba — Landslij)^ 
Beni-Muamba — Midnight  alarm  and  Limo's  bravery — Silence  in  the 
sunshine — Night  in  the  forest — Awkward  situation  at  Beui-Kashia — 
Arrival  at  Luebo .         .         .        .         .117 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Senhor  Carvalho's  administration — The  plantations  and  our  crops— Misunder- 
standing with  the  Bakuba — Our  Baket^  allies — Fireworks — Boat  accident 
to  Bakete  hunters  on  the  Luebo — Ingratitude — Luebo  Falls — Bakete  hunting- 
parties — Game  of  district — Slave-dealers 139 


CHAPTER  X. 

Visit  to  Lukenga  INIanena — My  namesake — Dislionesty  of  Jao  Domingos — 
Expedition  against  Biombe — Temporary  imprisonment  of  the  chief — Ground- 
nut oil — Carvalho's  boat-building  and  project — Arrival  of  the  Stanley  with 
my  successor — The  Sanford  expedition — I  leave  Luebo— Accident  to  tlie 
Stanley — Sacred  island  of  Kimeh — Kwamouth  and  the  Catholic  Mission 
— The  Abb^  Krafft — Kinchasa  and  Leopoldville  once  more    .        ,        ,        .  15S 


APPENDIX 175 

INDEX 187 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


CHROMO-LITHOGRAPHS. 

I.  The  Southern  Shore  of  Stanley  Pool 
II.  Fisherman  of  the  Lulua         .... 

III.  On  the  Road  to  Kassenge      .... 

IV.  The  Homage  of  Congolemosch 

V.  LuEBO  Station 


Frontisjiiece 

to  face  page      50 

63 

99 

158 


ETCHINGS. 


VI.  Leopoldville  in  1885 

VII.  The  Expedition  Steamers  at  Kwamouth 
VIII.  Mount  Pogge 

IX.  The  First  Rapids  on  the  Lulua  . 
X.  Chinyampobo  from  Luluaburg 

XI.  The  Eastern  Falls  of  the  Luebo 


to  face  page        i 

81 
117 
139 


FULL-PAGE  ENGRAVINGS. 

XII.  KiNCHASA to  face  page 

XIII.  Lulua  Fish ,, 

XIV.  Bakuba  Cups  and  Knives ,, 

XV.  Looking  Back  Across  the  Musisi  Valley  .       .  ,, 

XVI.  Luluaburg ,, 

XVII.  Landslip  at  Beni-Muamba 


3 

59 

97 

106 

109 

128 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XIX 


SMALLER  ENGRAVINGS. 


1.  "Dover  Cliffs  " 

2.  At  tlie  Gates  of  the  Pool 

3.  A  Miisjie  Village    . 

4.  A  Basliilang^  Woman     . 

5.  A  Chiplumba  INIan  wearing  INIatchioko 

6.  A  Chiplumba  Woman     . 

7.  Wabunia  Fishing-towu  and  Heronry 

8.  Hut  near  Mount  Pogg^  . 

9.  Huts  at  Bosjie-Massari  . 

10.  Basongo-Meno  Woman  . 

11.  Basongo-Meno  Implements 

12.  Basongo-Meno  Youth 

13.  Basongo-Meno  Market-woman 

14.  Shammatuka  Fishing-huts 

15.  Hippopotamus  Trap 

16.  Bakuba  Head-dress 

17.  The  Lulua  Rapids  from  the  Station 

1 8.  In  Kassfeng^  Village 

19.  The  Log-house 

20.  A  Bakete  Girl 

21.  A  Bakfet^  Man 

22.  Pounding  Cassava  . 

23.  Kafinga— a  Portrait 

24.  Zingas       .... 

25.  Chitabo  on  MiaAV     . 

26.  Lhiamba  [Cannabis  Indica) 

27.  Beni-Ndumba 

28.  Kasongo— a  Portrait 

29.  Senhora  Caxavalla — a  Portrait 


Head-dress 


PAGE 

3 
6 

15 

20 
21 
21 

26 
31 
32 
43 
44 
46 
48 
50 
53 
54 
60 

63 
65 
68 
69 
71 
79 
Si 

99 
i'3 
117 
124 
125 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


SMALLER  ENGRAVINGS— C\?«i/?(?/erf. 

PAGE 

30.  Lianas  at  Beni-Kashia 134 

31.  Tevive  (Gossijpimn) 137 

32.  Bakfete  Chiefs 139 

33.  Mponde  (Sorghum] 141 

34.  Mpinde  nguba  (Arachis) 142 

35.  Bakfete  Hunters 148 

36.  The  Western  Falls  of  the  Luebo 151 

37.  Bambangala 154 

38.  Ant-bear  and  Ant-hili 156 

39.  Ground-nut  Oil-making 15^ 

40.  Kallina  Point 174 

MAPS. 

LUEBO  Station facing  page  64 

General  Map  showing  Author's  Routes  {folded}     .             ,,  186 


I 


,  '*    n 


4 


ARGUMENT. 


When  Stanley  discovered  the  Upper  Congo,  in  his  great  ex- 
pedition through  the  Dark  Continent,  he  carefully  watched 
for  the  embouchures  of  any  rivers  flowing  from  the  south 
which  might  be  identified  as  the  outlets  of  those  great  waters 
which  Livingstone  had  discovered,  and  made  known  to  the 
world  as  the  Sankoro  and  Kasai.  These  outlets  Stanley 
believed  he  had  found  in  the  Lubiranzi,  a  magnificent  river 
which  pours  its  flood  into  the  Congo  no  great  distance  below 
the  Stanley  Falls,  and  the  Uruki,  a  stream  joining  the  Congo 
through  a  very  wide  embouchure  at  Equator.  Subsequently, 
having  discovered  the  Kwa  or  Kwamuni,  as  the  lower  waters 
of  the  Kasai  were  then  exclusively  known,  and  voyaging  up 
it,  and  by  the  Nzali  Mpini  to  Lake  Leopold  IL,  but  neglect- 
ing to  explore  the  infinitely  greater  stream  coming  from 
the  opposite  direction,  he  concluded  that  the  waters  of  the 
Kwamuni  were  mainly  derived  from  the  lake,  and  that  no 
other  really  great  rivers  entered  the  Congo  from  the  south. 
This  view  being  taken  as  ascertained  fact,  the  questions 
which  suggested  themselves  to  geographers  were,  where  do 
the  waters  of  the  Kasai  and  Sankoro  empty  themselves  if 
not  by  the  Lubiranzi  and  Uruki  ?  or,  do  they  lose  themselves 
in  some  inland  sea  or  marsh  ?  To  solve  this  problem  Lieu- 
tenant Wissmann  was  despatched  by  the  Geographical  Society 
of  Berlin,  and  under  special  commission  of  the  King  of  the 
Belgians.  In  a  previous  journey  across  Africa,  in  conjunc-' 
tion  with  Dr.  Pogge,  Lieutenant  Wissmann  had  crossed  the 
Upper  Kasai,  and  had  experienced  tlic  friendly  character  of 

A* 


ARGUMENT. 


the  natives  in  its  vicinity.  He  now  conceived  the  happy 
idea  of  entering  the  country  from  the  province  of  Malange 
in  Angola,  and  making  overland  to  the  head-waters  of  the 
Kasai,  to  obtain  tliere  the  assistance  of  the  natives,  and 
thence  to  descend  the  river  to  whatever  bourne  its  course 
might  cany  him.  His  project  was  completely  successful : 
he  met  Math  the  most  cordial  and  efficient  assistance  at  the 
hands  of  Calemba,  the  intelligent  and  noble-minded  king  of 
the  Baluba,  wlio  personally  and  together  with  a  sufficient 
force  of  warriors  embarked  upon  the  waters  of  the  Kasai, 
to  share  whatever  vicissitudes  and  dangers  might  await  his 
guest  in  sailing  down  them  to  their  ultimate  and  unknown 
goal.  In  due  course  the  expedition  reached  the  Congo,  and 
proceeding  to  Leopoldville,  were  there  received  by  Mr.  Troup, 
in  the  absence  of  Captain  Saulez.  Thus  his  immediate  ob- 
ject accomplished,  Lieutenant  Wissmann  returned  to  Europe, 
leaving  the  further  conduct  of  the  expedition  to  Dr.  Wolf. 
Under  his  charge  the  king,  Calemba,  and  the  faithful  Baluba, 
were  now  to  be  escorted  on  their  return  home  up  the  Kasai, 
Avhither  it  was  determined  to  send  on  the  expedition,  with 
the  view  of  establishing  a  station  at  the  coniluence  of  the 
Lulua  with  the  Luebo,  as  a  port  for  the  station  of  Lulua- 
burg,  founded  by  Lieutenant  Wissmann  when  in  the  Baluba 
country,  and  left  by  him  in  charge  of  Mr.  Bugslag.  I  was 
permitted  to  accompany  this  expedition  as  second  in  com- 
mand. The  stern-wheel  steamer  Stanlei/  and  the  steam- 
launch  En  Arant,  together  with  a  large  whaleboat,  were  to 
convey  the  Baluba  and  members  of  the  expedition  to  their 
destination.  The  ascent  of  the  Kasai  and  the  subsequent 
establishment  of  Luebo  station  form  the  subject  of  the  follow- 
ing narrative. 


"  nOVEll  CLIFFS. 


UNDER    THE    LONE    STAR. 


CHAPTER  I. 


The  personnel  of  the  party — Stanley  Poul  described — Start  from  Kinchasa — Wrecked — 
Wretched  night  and  day — Recriminations — Nocturnal  alarm — We  contrive  to  com- 
municate with  Leopoldville — Repairs — The  fresh  start — The  skijtper's  parrot — Congo 
.scenery — Tiie  tropical  forest — Msuata. 

On  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  September  1885,  soon  after 
7  A.M.,  I  went  on  board  the  En  Avant,  then  lying  oft'  the 
landing-place  at  Kinchasa.  We  had  on  board  fifteen 
Zanzibaris  and  Angolese,  three  Balnba,  and  my  two  ser- 
vants.* Mr.  ■  Vander  Felson  had  charge  of  the  navigation 
of  the    vessel,    and    Mr.    Walker    was    the    engineer.     The 

*  Vide  Appendix  A. 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


Stanley,  having  on  board  the  main  body  of  the  expedition, 
under  command  of  Dr.  Wolf,  was  to  follow  us  a  few  days 
later  from  Leopoldville,  which  is  distant  some  six  miles 
from  Kinchasa,  and  is  at  the  extreme  end  coastwards  of 
the  navigation  of  the  Middle  and  Upper  Congo,  which,  at 
the  point  immediately  beyond  that  station,  plunges  down 
the  Livingstone  Falls  in  awful  and  indescribable  grandeur 
— for  well  nigh  200  miles  a  frightful  descent  of  cataracts 
and  rapids  infinitely  the  wildest  and  grandest  in  all  the 
world.  The  JEn  Avant  was  to  precede  the  Stanley  as  her 
avant  courier,  but,  as  things  turned  out,  this  detail  of 
our  operations  had  to  be  abandoned.  Owing  to  the  large 
number  of  persons,  including  women  and  children  belong- 
ing to  the  Baluba,  whom  the  steamers  had  to  convey,  it 
was  necessaiy  for  us  every  night  to  find  some  suitable  camp- 
ing-ground whereon  our  living  freight  might  find  sleep- 
ing quarters.  The  king,  Calemba,  and  Sir  F.  de  Winton, 
K.C.M.G.,  who  accompanied  the  expedition,  though  not  in 
command,  were  also  accommodated  on  board  the  Stanley, 
which  carried  Lieut.  Andersson  of  the  Royal  Swedish  Navy 
as  her  captain,  with  Mr.  Olsen  as  mate,  Mr.  Waal  as  engineer, 
and  Mr.  Schneider  as  armourer. 

Stanley  Pool,  upon  which  we  were  now  embarked,  is  a 
singular  feature  of  the  Congo,  which,  for  great  distances  both 
above  and  below  this  remarkable  expansion,  is,  for  so  vast 
a  river,  decidedly  narrow.  The  Pool  is  20  miles  long,  and 
16  miles  broad  in  its  widest  pait,  being  much  blocked 
with  sandbanks  and  islands,  of  which  Bamu  is  the  largest, 
measuring  some  12^  miles  by  2^  in  its  extreme  length  and 
breadth.     The  depth  is  very  various,  but  attains  a  maximum 


WRECKED. 


of  as  much  as  50  fathoms.  The  surface  of  the  water  is 
910  feet  over  sea-level,  and  the  banks  are  more  or  less 
elevated  except  on  the  southern  shore.  To  the  north-west 
the  ground  rises  into  hills,  which  display  towards  the  Pool 
those  strangely  white  cliffs  nicknamed  "Dover  Cliffs."  At 
"the  Gates  of  the  Pool,"  as  the  point  at  which  the  upper 
river  begins  to  expand  is  called,  both  banks  consist  of 
bold  hills  rising  about  600  feet  over  the  water,  clothed 
with  wood  at  the  base  :  those  on  the  south  side  gradually 
retreating  from  the  water,  and  sinking  in  height,  until, 
behind  Kinchasa,  they  disappear.  To  return,  however,  to 
the  voyage  before  us.  Unmooring  at  about  7.45  a.m.  from 
Kinchasa,  conspicuous  on  the  low-lying  shore  by  reason 
of  its  great  baobab  trees,  we  turned  the  prow  of  our  boat 
against  the  stream,  and  steaming  along  the  southern  side 
of  the  Pool,  we  passed  Kimpoko,  where  the  American 
Methodist  Mission  is  now  located,  at  about  2  p.m.,  and  en- 
camped some  two  hours  before  sunset  at  the  Gates  of  the 
Pool.  Wood  suitable  for  fuel  being  both  good  and  abun- 
dant at  this  point,  I  kept  the  men  cutting  it  until  10  p.m. 
Next  morning,  October  ist,  having  shipped  the  wood,  we 
left  our  camp  at  6.25  a.m.  and  proceeded  on  our  way, 
keeping  to  the  south  bank,  and  with  considerable  difficulty 
contrived  for  some  time  to  avoid  the  numerous  reefs  of 
rock ;  but  having  lost  steerage-way  in  a  whirlpool,  we 
struck  upon  a  rock  some  eighty  yards  from  shore.  As  the 
steamer  immediately  began  to  fill,  we  beached  her  upon 
the  nearest  strip  of  sandy  shore,  but  only  just  in  time  to 
save  her,  for  the  water  was  already  lapping  over  into  the 
engine  compartment  when  we  reached  the  bank.     ^Ye  pro- 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


ceeded  to  lighten  the  vessel  by  removing  the  wood,  anchor, 
and  anchor  chain,  &c.,  from  the  forward  compartment 
to  the  land,  and  afterwards,  having  partially  stopped  the 
leak  nndor  her  forefoot  by  letting  down  a  weighted  sail  on 
that  side  of  the  bows  which  was  exposed  to  the  descending 
current  of  the  river,  we  managed,  with  the  assistance  of  a 
block  and  tackle  fixed  to  a  stout  tree  on  the  bank,    so   to 


AT  THE  GATES  OF  THE  l't)OL. 


raise  her  fore  part  as  to  enable  the  engineer  to  ascertain 
the  extent  of  the  damage.  This  was  considerable.  There 
were  four  holes,  one  of  triangular  shape  measuring  three 
inches  across  the  base,  the  others  being  smaller.  Un- 
happily, the  material  of  the  steamer  being  steel,  we  could 
do  nothing  but  await  relief  from  Leopoldville,  for  in 
the  turmoil  of  embarkation  the  drills,  rivets,  spare  plates, 
and  other   requisites    for   executing   repairs,    had   been  left 


DIFFICULTIES. 


behind.  Our  situation  was  most  unfortunate.  Had  the 
whaleboat  been  with  us,  or  had  w^e  been  provided  with  a 
row-boat  of  any  description,  we  should  have  been  able  to 
communicate  with  Leopoldville.  As  things  were,  we  could 
only  wait  upon  our  fortune.  But  we  felt  somewhat  im- 
patient, for  we  were  threatened  with  a  famine.  We  had 
fully  expected  to  have  reached  Msuata  on  the  following 
day,  and  had  laid  in  no  provision  for  a  longer  period, 
whilst  the  seemingly  pathless  forest  by  which  we  were 
surrounded  forbade  us  to  expect  the  presence  of  any  native 
towns  in  our  vicinity.  Night  closing  in,  I  pitched  my  tent 
on  a  small  open  space  of  rising  ground,  Messrs.  Vander 
Felson  and  Walker  remaining  on  board  the  steamer,  where 
they  were  sufficiently  uncomfortable,  and,  I  believe,  mutu- 
ally recriminative  as  to  their  several  responsibilities  in 
respect  of  our  mishap.  Next  day  our  consultation  was 
inevitably  somewhat  gloomy,  but  we  decided  on  sending 
out  two  search-parties,  I  conducting  one  directly  away  from 
the  river  to  look  out  for  tracks  or  towns,  Mr.  Walker  going 
with  another  along  the  river-bank  in  search  of  landing- 
places  or  canoes.  Mr.  Vander  Felson  remained  in  charge 
of  the  steamer  and  camp,  with  orders  to  hail  any  passing 
canoes,  and  to  detain  them  until  my  return,  so  that  I 
might  have  the  opportunity  of  inducing  their  crews,  either 
by  bribes  or  threats,  to  convey  intelligence  of  our  disaster 
to  Kinchasa  or  Leopoldville.  After  some  hours  of  unsuc- 
cessful search,  my  party  returned  into  camp,  whither  Mr. 
Walker  had  preceded  us,  and  with  no  better  fortune.  The 
possibility  of  our  provisions  becoming  exhausted  did  not 
tend   to   raise   our   spirits,   and   as   we   had   to  pass  another 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


night  in  our  castaway  condition,  the  feelings  of  my  sub- 
ordinates became  yet  more  exacerbated  towards  each  other. 
Indeed,  their  time  on  board  must  have  been  very  trying  to 
them  that  night,  for,  to  the  discomforts  of  their  surround- 
ings, were  added  the  terrors  of  a  threatened  danger.  Their 
rest  was  rudely  disturbed  by  the  grunting  of  a  hippopo- 
tamus, who  came  about  the  landing-place  in  search  of 
food.  Our  friends  awoke  at  once  to  a  sense  of  their  new 
peril,  and  to  a  keener  realisation  of  their  former  differ- 
ences of  opinion.  Of  course  they  differed  as  to  the  means 
and  method  of  defence,  and  nature  of  the  foe.  They 
were  in  total  darkness,  and  unable  to  procure  a  light. 
They  stumbled  and  fell,  and  trampled  on  each  other  in 
their  efforts  to  obtain  their  arms,  and — 1  am  afraid — they 
swore.  Meanwhile  the  enemy  retreated  from  the  contest. 
On  the  3rd  of  October  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  stop 
a  passing  Bayanzi  canoe,  bound  for  Kimpoko,  with  ivory, 
and  induced  them,  by  promises  of  reward,  to  take  a  letter 
to  Kinchasa.  Later  in  the  day,  two  of  the  crew  who  had 
been  sent  out  with  guns  to  procure  game  of  some  kind, 
wherewith  to  supplement  our  scanty  rations,  came  across 
a  native  road,  by  following  which  they  arrived  at  a  cluster 
of  villages  inhabited  by  a  portion  of  the  Bateke  tribe. 
These  people  proved  very  friendly,  and  promising  to  bring 
supplies  into  camp,  the  joyful  return  of  our  two  men  was 
speedily  followed  by  the  advent  of  a  host  of  women  with 
cassava,  yams,  fowls,  plantains,  &c. 

The  pleasing  prospect  of  present  abundance  and  coming 
escape  so  engrossed  ray  mutually  hostile  companions  that 
they    forgot    their    past    recriminations,    and    although    the 


HELP  FROM  LEOPOLDVILLE. 


speedy  discovery  of  the  native  road  by  the  two  Zanzibaris 
had  to  my  mind,  I  must  own,  given  confirmation  to  the 
reproach  with  which  Mr.  Vander  Felson  had  assailed  Mr. 
Walker  as  to  the  ntter  unreality  of  the  latter's  search  for  a 
landing-place,  yet  they  now  became  and  afterwards  remained 
good  friends  and  allies  in  their  work.  I  passed  the  follow- 
ing day  chiefly  in  shooting,  and  in  considerably  greater  com- 
fort. About  4  P.M.  we  were  all  gladdened  by  hearing  the 
puffing  and  working  of  a  steamboat  coming  up  the  river, 
and  shortly  after  we  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  Royal, 
with  Mr.  Hamburg,  engineer,  on  board,  sent  by  Sir  F.  de 
Winton,  in  reply  to  my  note,  nearing  the  scene  of  our 
disaster.  She  brought  with  her  all  requisites  for  repairing 
the  leak,  and  some  comforts  for  the  officers.  The  evening 
was  spent  more  amicably  than  our  previous  evenings  had 
been,  and  next  day  (October  5th)  the  united  skill  and  in- 
dustry of  our  engineers  availed  to  make  good  the  greatest 
part  of  the  damage. 

On  the  6th  of  October  both  engineers  fell  early  to  their 
work,  and  repairs  being  completed,  about  9  a.m.  we  pushed 
ojQf  the  steamer  into  deep  water,  and  commenced  to  reload. 
At  10  A.M.  the  Sta7iley,  with  the  main  body  of  the  expedi- 
tion on  board,  anchored  oft'  the  landing-place.  Dr.  Wolf 
came  on  shore  to  receive  my  report,  and  with  him  were 
Sir  F.  de  Winton,  Dr.  Leslie,  Mr.  Swinburne,  and  Mr. 
Troup — the  two  last-named  gentlemen  returning  in  the 
Royal.  After  half  an  hour's  delay  the  Stanley  proceeded 
on  her  voyage  to  Kwamouth,  leaving  orders  that  we  sliould 
follow  as  soon  as  possible.  The  disaster  which  liad  be- 
fallen us  was  indicative  of  the  part  the  En  Avant  was  to 


lo  UNDER   THE  LONE  STAR. 


bear  thereafter  in  the  expedition.  We,  who  ought  to  have 
preceded  the  Stanley  throughout  the  whole  voyage  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  a  sufficiency  of  supplies  along  the  pro- 
posed route,  were  generally  following  her,  struggling  vainly 
with  our  inferior  engines  against  the  current,  or  grounded 
on  sandbanks. 

All  being  ready  for  departure,  we  unmoored  about  2  p.m. 
and  proceeded  up  the  stream.  Crossing  to  the  western 
shore,  we  were  at  some  disadvantage  from  the  heavy  sea 
occasioned  by  the  strong  south-west  wind  meeting  the 
current  of  the  river.  I  confess  that  I  was  somewhat 
anxious  myself  as  to  the  security  of  the  repairs,  but  Mr. 
Vander  Felson  was  afraid,  distrusting  an  engineer's  abilities 
to  do  anything  aright,  and  his  solicitude  threatened  to  dis- 
turb his  renewed  friendship  with  the  engineer.  Between 
the  whistling  of  the  wind  and  the  straining  of  the  engine, 
it  was  no  easy  matter  for  him  to  make  Mr,  Walker,  as  he 
stood  behind  the  funnel,  hear  his  inquiries,  or  even  to 
attract  his  attention.  Grasping  a  yam,  the  worthy  skipper 
watched  for  the  opportunity  that  any  change  in  Mr.  Walker's 
position  might  afford  him.  After  a  time  the  engineer  un- 
suspectingly ventured  beyond  his  cover,  when  instantly  the 
tuber  went  flying  past  his  ear,  and  striking  with  force 
unlucky  Mr.  Yander  Fel son's  favourite  parrot,  hurled  it 
screaming  into  the  eddies  far  astern. 

"  Hullo  there !  you've  missed  the  pigeon,  but  you've 
killed  the  crow  !  " 

"  Oh,  save  my  parrot !  " 

"Jump  overboard,  man,  and  save  it  yourself!  " 

"  Stop  the  steamer  !     Stop  her  !  " 


AMENITIES  OF  THE   VOYAGE. 


"I'll  do  no  such  thing — stop  the  steamer  yourself." 

The  parrot  being  abandoned  to  its  fate,  the  skipper 
renewed  the  subject  of  the  repairs,  attracting  the  engineer's 
attention  by  an  intermittent  shower  of  various  missiles. 

"  Is  there  any  water  there  ?  " 

"Yes,  plenty." 

"  Does  it  increase,  think  you  ?  " 

"Yes;  it's  increasing  fast  enough." 

"  Ach  Himmel !  I  knew  it  was  so.  We  shall  then  all  go 
to  the  bottom  !  Ach  mine  Gott !  look  now  again  and  tell 
me  is  it  so?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  no  more.  Just  you  mind  your  own  busi- 
ness and  leave  me  to  mind  mine." 

"  It  will  be  better  on  the  other  side.  We  shall  cross  the 
river. 

"  All  right !  that  is  your  business — cross  away  !  " 

And  so  they  kept  on  until  the  deepening  shadows  of  the 
evening  brought  our  voyage  to  a  temporary  close.  Vse 
moored  off  a  swampy  strip  of  land  on  the  northern  bank. 
Here  my  tent  was  pitched,  fires  lighted,  and  the  evening 
tasks  allotted  to  all  our  little  company.  Although  the  lost 
parrot  still  formed  the  text  of  an  occasional  jeremiad,  our 
social  circle  was  more  cheerful  than  the  trials  and  contro- 
versies of  the  day  would  have  justified  us  in  anticipating. 
The  next  day  our  voyage  was  entirely  uneventful  so  far  as 
our  progress  was  concerned,  and  at  its  close  we  encamped 
on  the  north  bank,  opposite  to,  though  slightly  below, 
Msuata. 

The  scenery  through  which  we  had  passed  since  lca\iug 
the  Pool  is  in  many  respects  most  beautiful,  but,  like   the 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


scenery  elsewhere  in  this  vast  continent,  it  seems  perhaps 
less  beautiful  than  in  reality  it  is  :  a  fact,  if  fact  it  be,  that 
I  can  only  ascribe  to  the  power  of  association  to   impress 
the  mind.     The  broad  level  of  the  river  gives  contrast  and 
relief  to  the  bare  bold  hills  through  which  its  great  path  is 
cleft — hills  which,  though  little  varied  by  cliff  and  crag,  and 
of  somewhat  uniform   height,   are    garlanded    and   gemmed 
with   all   the   dark  luxuriant  richness   of   the    tropic   forest 
and  gilded  with  the  most  glorious  sunshine.     From  the  cool 
grey  and  gold  of  dawn  on  through  the  burning   brilliance 
of  the  day  to  the  rose  and  amber  splendours  of  the  sunset, 
the  voyager  may  watch  the  nearing  and  receding  bluffs  with 
the  fringe  of  forest  round  their  bases,  sometimes  mirrored 
in  the  glassy  stream  and   sometimes   dimmed  with  haze  or 
chequered  with  the  fleeting  cloud,  but  lonely  always :  un- 
joined with  human  story  and  the  endless  life  of  man.     At 
home  the  records  of  our  past,  our  glories   and  our  griefs, 
from  the  remotest  memories  of  the  race,  live  in  the  features 
of  the  land  ;  but  in  the  country  of  an  unknown  past,  through 
which   the   mighty  river  flows,   the    thought  is  borne   ever 
onwards  to  a  future  no  less  unknown.* 

The  ground  on  which  we  were  now  encamped  was  high 
above  the  water,  and  grassy,  but  surrounded,  save  on  the 
side  next  the  river,  by  a  dense  forest.  Although  from  sheer 
strength  and  luxuriance  of  growth  the  forests  of  Central 
Africa  are  of  darker  colour,  and  therefore  a  less  attractive 
and  showy  element  in  the  landscape,  than  forests  are  wont 
to  be,  yet  it  were  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  they  are  of  one 
uniform  dark  evergreen  tint.     There  are  many  trees  whose 

*  Mde  Appendix  B. 


MSUATA.  .  t3 

tender  green  foliage  contrasts  finely  with  that  of  their 
darker  neighhours  ;  for  example,  the  bombax  or  floss-wood, 
and  the  climbing  calamus.  There  is  also  the  beautiful 
traveller's  tree,  with  its  resplendent  crimson  foliage  and 
silvery  bark.  There  are,  moreover,  several  flowering  trees 
of  great  beauty ;  amongst  them  more  than  one  species  of 
acacia,  and  a  magnolia  with  great  creamy  blossoms  and 
delicious  perfume.*  The  beach  beside  our  camping-ground 
was  very  deeply  marked  with  the  spoor  of  elephants,  buffalo, 
and  various  kinds  of  antelopes  ;  but  except  a  single  specimen 
of  the  latter,  a  small  blue  buck  that  I  shot  before  dinner, 
we  saw  nothing  of  the  game.  Next  morning  we  left  about 
7  A.M.,  and  keeping  for  a  short  distance  to  the  north  shore, 
soon  crossed  to  the  deserted  station,  but  still  considerable 
native  towns,  of  Msuata.  A  station  had  been  founded  here 
by  order  of  Mr.  Stanley  in  1882  by  Lieut.  Janssen,  as  a 
depot  for  provisions  and  fuel  for  vessels  ascending  the  river. 
Lieut.  Janssen  was  much  liked  and  respected  by  the  natives, 
who  were,  so  long  as  he  lived,  entirely  friendly  and  well 
disposed  ;  but  after  his  lamented  death — he  was  accidentally 
drowned,  together  with  a  French  missionary  priest,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  station  —  little  misunderstandings  induced 
coldness,  which  culminated  in  hostility.  The  ground  on 
which  the  station  was  relinquished,  however,  was  mainly 
the  imperative  necessity  that  arose,  after  Stanley's  discovery 
of  Lake  Leopold  II.,  of  establishing  a  station  at  Kwamouth. 
The  garrison  therefore  and  materiel  at  Msuata  was  even- 
tually removed  thither,  and  our  only  object  in  landing  at  the 
old  station  site  was  to  appropriate,  for  fuel,  whatever  might 

*  Vide  Appeudix  C. 


14  UNDER   THE  LONE  STAR. 


remain  of  the  wooden  buildings.  Our  task  fulfilled,  we 
turned  away  once  more  upon  our  upward  voyage,  and 
reached  Kwamonth  without  further  adventure  of  any  kind 
at  4.30  P.M.,  where  we  found  the  Stanleij  already  arrived 
before  us. 


I* 


A   JIUSJIE  VILLAGE. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Kwainouth  and  the  Kwa— Narrative  of  Wissmann's  discovery  and  descent  of  the  Kasa 
—The  Baluba  and  their  neighbours  — Our  departure— Scenery  on  the  Kwa— Deserted 
Wabuma  village  and  heronry— Castellated  rocks— The  Musjie  villages  and  their 
queen— The  Nzali  Mpini— Wood-cutting— The  Kwango. 

KwAMOUTH,  as  its  name  implies,  is  situated  at  the  junction 
of  the  Kwa  with  the  Congo,  at  this  point  about  two  miles 
wide,  and  flowing  almost  due  north  and  south.  The  Kwa 
enters  the  main  stream  from  the  north-east — a  swift  river 
and  very  deep,  but  not  much  above  400  yards  in  width 
where  it  joins  the  Congo.  The  right,  or  Uyanzi,  bank  of 
the  Kwa  is  bare  and  grassy,  rising  very  gradually  to  a  height 
of  200  feet  and  upwards.  Opposite  the  ground  rises  steeply 
from   the  shore  to  an  average   altitude  of  60  feet,  forming 


1 6  UNDER   THE  LONE  STAR, 

thence,  for  some  distance  inland,  a  low  plain,  behind  which 
the  ground  again  rises.  The  station  is  located  exactly  at 
the  embouchure  and  on  the  brink  of  this  rapid  descent  to 
the  river — just  at  the  station  a  depth  of  some  80  feet — covered 
in  all  directions  with  luxuriant  groves  of  bananas.  Looking 
from  the  station  up  and  across  the  Congo,  the  prospect 
presented  to  the  eye  is  one  of  no  small  beauty,  the  distant 
hills  being  of  considerable  elevation,  broken  and  diversified 
with  cliff  and  wood.  The  station  buildings  comprised  one 
long  house  facing  the  Kwa  for  the  accommodation  of 
European  officers  and  travellers — (two  were  originally  built, 
but  with  such  indifferent  skill,  that  one  had  gone  completely 
to  ruin) — a  storehouse,  kitchen  offices,  a  row  of  workmen's 
huts,  and  a  house  for  the  women  of  the  station.  There  was 
also  a  large  boathouse  at  the  landing-place.  The  station 
is  in  no  way  palisaded  or  enclosed,  except  by  the  beautiful 
banana  plantations  with  which  it  is  surrounded.  Such  was 
the  rendezvous  of  our  expedition — the  point  at  which,  bidding 
farewell  to  the  milder  populations  of  the  Middle  Congo 
districts  and  to  the  incipient  influences  of  civilisation,  we 
were  to  enter  upon  a  region  seen  only  once  before  by  the  eye 
of  civilised  man — a  region  whose  inhabitants  were  known 
for  the  most  part,  so  far  as  they  were  known  at  all,  only  as 
cruel  and  ferocious  savages,  as  cowardly  robbers  of  the 
helpless  stranger.  It  may  be  well,  therefore,  at  this  point 
in  our  narrative  to  pause,  and  give  some  account  of  Lieut. 
Wissmann's  experience  of  those  Avretches  past  whose  lurking 
dens  we  were  about  to  escort  the  faithful  companions  of 
his  perilous  voyage,  as  well  as  of  those  companions  them- 
selves, their  country,  and  their  neighbours. 


WISSMAXN'S  DESCENT  OF  THE  KASAI.  17 

When  Lieut.  Wissmann  was  preparing,  with  Calemba's 
aid,  to  embark  his  expedition  upon  the  Kasai,  he  constructed 
his  canoes  (in  number  about  thirty),  and  launched  the  whale- 
boat,  which  he  had  brought  Avitli  him  overland  in  sections 
from  Malange,  at  a  point  on  the  Lulua  that  was  believed 
by  him,  though  erroneously,  to  be  below  the  last  cataract 
on  that  river.  Passing  down  to  the  Kasai  without  disaster 
of  any  kind,  excepting  the  loss  of  a  canoe,  carried  over  the 
Lulua  Falls  above  the  confluence  of  the  Luebo,  and  voyag- 
ing on  as  far  as  the  Luangi,  it  was  observed  one  morning 
when  preparing  to  leave  camp,  some  of  the  canoes  having 
already  started,  that  the  native  women,  who  had  come  in 
early  for  the  purpose  of  bartering  provisions,  retired  sud- 
denly, and  without  any  apparent  cause.  This  was  at  once 
noted  as  an  unfavourable  omen,  and  in  re-embarking  Lieut. 
Wissmann  and  his  European  subordinates  Avere  prepared  to 
defend  themselves  with  their  rifles.  Scarcely  had  the  canoes 
pushed  off  than  a  flight  of  arrows  from  the  surrounding 
jungle  fell  thickly  around  them,  and  the  everlasting  tom- 
tom of  their  war-drums,  with  mingled  yells  and  screams 
resounding  through  the  forest  on  all  sides,  declared  plainly 
enough  the  hostility  of  the  natives.  Happily  no  one 
was  seriously  injured  by  the  arrows,  and  as  standing  orders 
had  been  issued  that  on  any  appearance  of  danger  all  the 
canoes  should  mass  themselves  together,  the  firing,  which 
was  renewed  again  and  again,  served  to  congregate  the  flotilhi 
into  a  compact  body.  This  was  most  fortunate,  as  a  much 
more  daring  onslaught  of  the  savages  was  to  follow.  Im- 
mediately from  every  creek  and  cranny  along  the  woody 
shore  multitudes  of  canoes  shot  out  filled  with  armed  men, 


i8  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

stalwart  warriors  standing  in  each  prow,  balancing  linge 
spears,  in  readiness  to  hiui  them  whenever  the  lessening 
distance  should  allow  their  doing  so  with  deadly  effect. 
The  way  down-stream  thus  barred,  flight  became  impos- 
sible, and  resistance  inevitable.  Accordingly,  as  quickly  as 
may  be,  the  crack  of  the  elephant-rifle  answers  the  fiendish 
war-cries  of  the  foe  and  the  whirring  of  the  arrows. 
One  and  another  of  the  advancing  canoes  stop  in  their 
progress,  and  then,  sinking  or  unmanned,  drift  down  the 
stream ;  where  but  a  moment  before  the  frenzied  robber 
gloried  in  the  spoil  of  life  and  property  of  which  he  deemed 
himself  secure,  there,  when  the  light  rifle-smoke  clears  oft,  is 
seen  only  a  ruddy  tinge  upon  the  rippling  eddy,  a  sinking 
boat,  or  maybe  a  dark  body  drifting  with  the  flood.  And 
thus  a  way  being  cleared,  the  gallant  little  fleet  sail  on  down- 
stream ;  but  as  they  go,  each  bend  and  turning  in  the  river 
bank  unmasks  a  new  band  of  robber  vessels,  and  the  sicken- 
ing, hopeless  contest  has  to  be  renewed.  Night — an  anxious 
troubled  night  it  was,  a  sandy  island  being  the  only  practi- 
cable camping-ground — and  night  alone,  puts  a  temporary 
end  to  this  war  a  Voutrance.  Nor  does  the  morrow  or 
several  succeeding  days  bring  safety  or  even  immunity  from 
molestation.  The  camps  have  always  to  be  pitched  on  islands 
when  the  darkness  closes  on  those  days  of  watchfulness  and 
care.  One  day,  towards  the  end  of  the  long-continued 
flight,  Lieut.  Wissmann  chanced  to  turn  his  head  to  look  up- 
stream. It  was  well  that  he  did  so.  Two  of  the  hindmost 
canoes  had  most  unluckily  got  into  shoal  water,  and  finally 
had  run  aground.  Their  crews  were  making  what  haste  they 
could  to  push  them  oft',  when  instantly  their  ever-watchful 


''CONGO  MANEXA/"  19 

enemy  comes  down  upon  them,  and  men  and  helpless  women 
and  their  infants  will  certainly  be  murdered  before  help  can 
come,  or  their  absence  from  the  company  be  even  noticed. 
But  just  in  time  the  whaleboat  slackens  her  pace  down- 
stream, and  with  rapid  strokes  turns  back  upon  her  way.  A 
few  sharp  shots  are  fired,  and  once  again  the  would-be 
spoilers  are  themselves  despoiled.  The  stranded  boats  are 
rescued,  and  proceed  upon  their  voyage.  At  last,  after  eight 
days  of  the  keenest  anxiety  and  most  wearisome  exertion, 
the  expedition  entered  a  less  inhospitable  region,  and  glided 
forth  at  last  upon  the  longed-for  waters  of  the  mighty 
Congo. 

"  Congo  manena  !"  ("  great  is  the  Congo"),  the  Bashilangd 
chief  exclaimed  whose  canoe  first  gained  its  stream ;  and 
"  Congo  Manena  "  he  has  ever  since  been  called. 

With  regard  to  Lieut.  Wissmann's  Baluba  allies,  it  is  to 
be  observed  that  they  form  that  portion  of  the  nation  known 
as  Bashilange,  and  are  a  distinct  tribe  from  the  Baluba 
properly  so  called,  who  inhabit  a  country  to  the  east  of  the 
Sankoro,  and  between  the  seventh  and  eighth  parallels  of 
south  latitude,  from  which  the  Bashilange  have  migrated  at 
no  very  remote  period  to  their  present  domains,  which  extend 
westwards  from  the  Sankoro  to  the  Kasai.  The  people  whom 
they  have  probably  displaced  by  thus  intruding  into  the 
country  to  the  west  of  their  original  home  are  the  Bakete, 
the  remnants  of  which  nation,  divided  into  two  very  unequal 
portions,  now  occupy  widely  separated  strips  of  country, 
between  which  the  great  bulk  of  the  Bashilange  population 
is  to  be  found.  Though  much  divided  into  sub-tribes,  the 
Bashilange  are  all  the  subjects  of  Calemba,  whose  capital, 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


known  as  Kashia  Calemba,  is  near  the  Lulna,  and  a  short 
distance  south  of  the  sixth  parallel.  It  is  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  estimate  their  numbers,  but  they  may  be  roughly 
set  down  as  about  80,000.  In  form  they  are  large  of  stature 
and  very  tall,  rather  dark  and  coarse-featured,  but  not  stupid 
or  unintellectual  in  look.  Like  all  negro  races  with  which 
I  am  acquainted,  they  are  easily  excited  to  any  imaginable 
degree  of  frenzy.  Their  insensibility  to  pity,  their  natural 
cruelty,    and    their    untruthfulness    are    also    characteristics 

possessed  by  them  in  common  with' 
other  negro  tribes.  Not  so,  how- 
ever, are  their  virtues,  which  are 
in  my  experience,  unhappily,  al- 
most unique  in  Africa.  They  are 
thoroughly  and  unimpeachably 
honest ;  somewhat  reserved  in 
speech  ;  brave  to  foolhardiness  ; 
and  faithful  to  each  other  and  to 
their  superiors,  in  whom,  especially 
if  Europeans,  they  place  the  most 


A  BASHiLANGE  WOMAN.  complctc  absolutely  unquestioning- 

reliance.  They  are  prejudiced  in  favour  of  foreign  customs 
rather  than  otherwise,  and  spontaneously  copy  the  usages  of 
civilisation.  They  are  warm-hearted  and  affectionate  towards 
their  friends,  and  especially  their  kinsfolk,  and  they  are  the 
only  African  tribe  amongst  whom,  in  their  primitive  state,  I 
have  observed  anything  like  a  becoming  conjugal  affection 
and  regard.  To  say  nothing  of  such  recommendations  as. 
their  emancipation  from  fetishism,  their  ancient  abandonment 
of  cannibalism,  their    heretofore  most  happy   experience  of 


THE  BASHILANGE  AND  THEIR  NEIGHBOURS.        21 


Europeans,  and  their  national  unity  under  the  sway  of  a 
really  princely  prince,  I  believe  them  to  be  the  most  open 
to  the  best  influences  of  civilisation  of  any  African  tribe 
whatsoever.  Of  their  neighbours,  by  far  the  most  power- 
ful and  important  are  the  Bakuba,  equal  at  least  to  the 
Bashilange  in  numbers,  and  like  them  united  under  a  king 
called  Lukwengo  ;  but  he  is  a  suzerain  of  inferior  sovereigns 
rather  than  the  personal  ruler  of  a  nation.  He  is,  moreover, 
himself  a  fetish  institution,  and  his  authority  is  bound  up 


A  CHIPLUMBA  MAN  WEARING 
MATCHIOKO  HEAD-DRESS. 


A  CHIPLUMBA  WOMAN. 


with  fetishism  and  is  maintained  by  it.  When  the  present 
Lukwengo  succeeded  to  the  throne,  2000  human  victims 
(slaves)  were  sacrificed  to  the  manes  of  his  predecessor. 
The  Bakuba  are  a  brave  and  w^arlike  people — thieves  and 
liars,  but  not  cannibals.  They  are  extremely  skilful  in  most 
native  arts,  llieir  cloth,  woven  in  elaborately  ingenious  and 
beautiful  patterns,  would  not  discredit  the  manufiicturing 
skill  of  the  most  advanced  civilised  nations,  and  their  work 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


in  iron  and  copper  is  not  less  admirable.  They  are  excellent 
huntsmen  and  very  expert  fishermen ;  but  they  are  not  at 
present  open  to  the  influences  of  civilisation,  as  Lukwengo 
has  prohibited  the  introduction  of  European  merchandise 
into  the  country,  and  has  confined  all  intercourse  between 
his  people  and  Europeans  within  very  narrow  limits. 

Their  country  conjoins  that  of  the  Bashilangd  on  its 
northern  and  north-eastern  frontiers,  and  the  Bakuba  have 
thus  practically  in  their  hands  the  command  of  the  Lulua, 
Kasai,  and  Sankoro,  the  main  outlets  of  the  Bashilange 
country  to  the  w-orld  of  commerce  and  civilisation.  A  small 
part  of  their  country,  next  to  the  Bashilange,  and  edging 
the  banks  of  the  Lulua,  is  inhabited  by  the  northern  and 
larger  section  of  the  Bakete  before  referred  to,  a  people  who 
occupy  much  of  our  attention  in  the  narrative  of  our  station 
at  Luebo,  on  which  account  I  shall  describe  them  more  fully 
elsewhere.  Another  small  nation  or  tribe,  residing  in  a 
country  chiefly  surrounded  by  Bakuba,  are  the  Shammatuka. 
Their  characteristics  are  Bakuba,  but  they  are  subject  to 
their  own  chief,  Bakwengi  Babiaha.  They  are  a  troublesome 
people,  probably  because  of  their  singularly  unfortunate 
relations  with  Calemba  and  Lukwengo,  two  masters  whom 
they  pretend  to  serve,  but  whom  they  strive  to  play  off 
against  each  other.  The  Tucongo  are  a  large,  powerful,  and 
savage  nation,  of  whom  very  little  is  known.  Their  char- 
acteristics are  Baluba.  Their  territory  borders  upon  the 
Kasai,  and  forms  a  great  portion  of  the  western  frontier  of 
the  Bashilange,  south  and  south-west  of  whom  are  the 
Bailunda,  a  wild,  savage,  and  extremely  numerous  people, 
united  under  a  chief  of  large  ideas,  Matjambo.     The  Mat- 


MATCHIOKO  AND  OTHER  TRIBES.  23 

chioko  are  a  large  tribe,  residing  in  a  territory  between  the 
Tiicongo  and  the  Baihmda.  They  are  very  ingenious  in 
their  manufactures,  and  as  iron-workers  are  unrivalled 
amongst  the  natives,  many  of  the  race  being  constantly 
resident  with  the  neighbouring  tribes  in  the  capacity  of 
blacksmiths.  The  tribal  speciality  is,  however,  their  great 
fondness  of  trade  :  they  are  to  be  found  all  over  the  country 
swindling  their  less  wily  neighbours,  and  making  mischief 
of  all  kinds  in  order  to  serve  their  own  ends.  The  Balungu 
are  a  large  nation  whose  territory  is  far  to  the  soutb,  south- 
east, and  east  of  the  Bashilange.  Little  w^as  known  of  them 
at  the  time  to  which  my  narrative  refers,  though  I  have 
something  more  to  say  of  them  in  its  place.  The  other 
neighbours  of  the  Bashilange  beside  the  Baluba  are  two 
nomadic  tribes  of  dwarfs,  the  Batua  Bankonko  and  the 
Batua  Basinji,  and  are  probably  the  dwarfs  referred  to  by 
Stanley  under  the  name  of  Wantu.  Both  tribes  are  incor- 
rigible thieves,  and  being  nomads,  and  destitute  therefore  of 
plantations,  they  live  habitually  by  robbing  those  of  the 
settled  tribes.  They  are  excellent  warriors,  and  very  hardy 
and  impudent,  so  that  the  more  otiose  and  supine  of  the 
peoples  on  whom  they  prey  suffer  most.  Thus  the  Bakete 
are  the  principal  victims  of  the  Batua  Bankonko,  wdiose 
line  of  march  lies  in  their  direction,  while  their  Bakuba 
neighbours  get  oft"  almost  scot-free.  It  only  remains 
for  me  to  say  a  few  words  as  to  the  general  character 
of  the  Bashilange  country  before  returning  from  this  long 
digression  to  the  thread  of  my  narrative.  This  territory, 
measuring  about  180  miles  from  north  to  south  and  160 
miles  from  east  to  west,  lies  Avholly  within  tlie  Congo  basin, 


24  UNDER   THE  LONE  STAR. 

although  containing  and  crossing  the  watersheds  of  several 
rivers.  It  is  abundantly  watered,  and  may  be  described  as 
nndulating  land  with  fine  rolling  plains,  intersected  with 
deep  gullies  :  a  grassy  country  with  rich  timber  on  the  hill- 
sides and  river  slopes,  except  in  the  basin  of  the  Luebo  and 
a  few  other  isolated  districts  of  luxuriant  forest.  The  soil 
is  exceedingly  fertile ;  but  although  the  country  is  very 
thinly  inhabited,  game  cannot  be  called  abundant. 

The  waters  up  which  our  course  was  to  be  threaded 
being  at  that  time  unsurveyed  and  unsounded,  it  was  deemed 
advisable  to  lighten  both  vessels  as  far  as  possible  before 
leaving  the  Congo.  The  9th  of  October  therefore  found  us 
fully  occupied  in  disembarking  whatever  we  could  possibly 
dispense  with,  and  in  procuring  such  provisions  as  were 
requisite  for  our  absolute  wants.  The  next  day  we  left 
Kwamouth  at  about  1 1  a.m.,  and  steamed  close  along  the 
right  bank  of  the  Kwa,  here  a  very  crooked  river,  and  were 
soon  out  of  sight  of  the  Congo.  The  stream  gradually 
widens,  but  the  scenery  continues  uninteresting  for  a  very 
considerable  distance.  The  banks  are  destitute  of  forest, 
and  rise  gradually  and  in  a  somewhat  terraced  manner  into 
ranges  of  low  hills.  Indeed  the  whole  country  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  may  be  described  as  undulating  prairie 
land.  By  degrees,  as  we  advance  up  the  stream,  the 
country  becomes  better  wooded.  Sparsely  scattered  clumps 
and  single  trees,  either  edging  the  water  or  nestling  in  the 
hollows  between  the  offshoots  of  the  hills,  give  variety,  and 
impart  a  park-like  appearance  to  the  landscape.  After 
passing  Muleo,  a  small  village  on  the  right  bank  inhabited 
by  Bayanzi,  we  meet  with  islands  where  the  river  broadens 


SCENERY  OF  THE  KWA.  25 

considerably.  Here  we  crossed  the  river,  and  having  passed 
Ntima  on  the  right  bank,  recrossed  to  Mbembo,  half  a  mile 
above  which  place  we  pitched  our  camp  for  the  night.  In 
the  morning  we  were  all  afoot  early  ;  but  owing  to  the  time 
absorbed  in  going  through  the  roll-call  of  so  large  a  body 
of  men,  and  in  reducing  them  and  our  heterogeneous  living 
cargo  to  ■  something  like  order,  discipline,  and  travelling 
arrangement,  Ave  did  not  renew  our  voyage  until  after  10 
A.M.  Keeping  still  to  the  right  bank,  we  soon  became  in- 
volved in  the  intricacies  of  sandbanks  and  winding  channels, 
alike  unexplored  and  invisible.  The  Kwa  is  here  lacus- 
trine in  character,  of  immense  breadth,  and  with  an  almost 
imperceptible  current.  At  2  p.m.  we  stopped  at  the  mouth 
of  a  small  stream,  entering  the  Kwa  from  the  north. 
Nothing  of  importance  occurring,  we  steamed  away  about 
7  A.M.,  and  after  considerable  trouble  amongst  the  sand- 
banks, which  are  here  extremely  numerous,  we  stopped  at 
a  village  on  the  left  bank,  the  name  of  which  we  were 
unable  to  discover,  as  the  natives  had  fled  at  our  approach. 
This  village  was  partially  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  lofty 
trees  (ironwood  or  mahogany),  which  were  occupied  by 
a  numerous  colony  of  herons.  What  had  induced  these 
usually  shy  birds  to  build  so  near  the  haunts  of  man  it 
is  impossible  to  say,  but  they  were  discovered  to  be  not 
the  only  inhabitants  of  the  grove.  On  Drs.  Wolf  and 
Leslie  proceeding  to  shoot  two  or  three  of  the  herons, 
the  report  of  their  fowling-pieces  disturbed  a  multitude 
of  enormous  bats,  which  continued  to  flit  about  in  the 
daylight  for  some  time.  Of  course  we  did  not  occupy 
the  village,  which  would  almost  certainly  be  infested  witli 


26 


UXDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


vermin  of  many  kinds,  but  an  excellent  camping-ground 
near  by,  a  strip  of  grassy  land  well  raised  over  the  river 
level.  We  found  an  abundance  of  wood  suitable  for  fuel 
at  this  place,  which,  by-the-bye,  is  probably  situated  on  an 
island.  Below  it  a  water  channel  enters  the  river  from 
the  south,  and  as  it  discharges  the  same  kind  of  water, 
it  probably  emanates  from   it  higher  up.      Should   such   be 


WABUMA  FISHING-TOWN   AND  HERONRY. 


the  case,  however,  the  channel  must  make  a  considerable 
detour,  as  the  island  it  encloses,  if  island  it  be,  is  mani- 
festly a  very  large  one.  It  is  worthy  of  note,  moreover, 
that  the  town  is  occupied,  probably  as  a  fishing-station, 
only  by  the  Wabuma,  whose  territory,  strangely  enough, 
is   supposed   to   lie   wholly   on   the   other  side  of  the  river. 


MUSyiE.  .   27 

Before  proceeding,  we  shipped  a  quantity  of  wood,  and 
left  about  9  a.m.  on  the  13th  of  October.  AVe  crossed  to 
the  opposite  bank,  and  observed  a  low  range  of  hills  run- 
ning to  the  north-east,  which  showed  upon  their  rain-washed 
sides  large  patches  of  yellow  and  red  laterite  :  a  mass  of 
castellated-looking  rock  appearing  on  their  summits  here 
and  there  reminded  one  not  a  little  of  the  hills  and  ruined 
castles  of  the  Ehineland.  Steaming  along  the  right  bank, 
we  came  shortly  to  the  first  of  the  Musjie  villages  ;  distinct 
clusters  of  huts,  each  cluster  being  inhabited  by  one  com- 
bined family,  and  surrounded  by  plantations  of  bananas, 
manioc,  &c.  These  villages  are  under  the  rule  of  a  queen, 
Gankabe,  whose  residential  village  is  in  the  centre  of  her 
curiously  separated  metropolis,  and  is  distinguished  by  a 
higher  stockade  and  larger  huts  than  those  erected  for  the 
use  of  her  subjects.  Here  the  river  Nzali  Mpini,  which 
flows  from  Lake  Leopold  II.,  enters  the  K^va  from  the 
north-east.  AVe  parted  from  our  consort  for  the  purpose 
of  more  thoroughly  exploring  this  confluent  portion  of  the 
river ;  the  Stanley  taking  a  southern  and  more  direct  course 
up  the  main  stream  of  the  Kwa,  while  we,  going  at  first 
in  a  north-easterly  direction  and  towards  Lake  Leopold 
II.,  passed  completely  round  the  larger  island  lying  in  the 
embouchure  of  the  Nzali  Mpini,  and  regained  the  main 
channel  after  pursuing  a  tortuous  course  through  a  maze 
of  sandbanks.  The  river  Kwa  here  makes  a  change  in 
the  direction  of  its  course,  which  has  been  hitherto  gene- 
rally from  east  to  west:  from  this  point  the  general  direction 
is  from  south-east  to  north-west.  Here,  too,  we  leave  the 
comparatively  known  portion  of  the  Kwa,  and  approaching 


28  ,  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

Biboko,  on  the  eastern  or  right  bank,  commence  what  may 
be  more  strictly  called  our  voyage  of  discovery.  From 
Biboko  we  crossed  between  sandbanks  and  shallows  to 
Kokoro  on  the  left  bank,  where  we  spent  some  time  in 
cutting  and  shipping  a  good  supply  of  wood,  which  is 
there  sufficiently  abundant.  The  natives  seemed  to  be 
exceedingly  wild  and  impudent,  and  anything  but  friendly. 
As  they  were  crowding  round  the  men  and  boat,  evidently 
intent  upon  thievery,  it  was  necessary  to  disperse  them — a 
feat  which  we  speedily  accomplished,  and  in  an  amusing 
manner,  by  turning  on  the  crowd  a  steam-pipe.  This 
having  the  desired  effect,  we  left  Kokbro  without  further 
adventure,  and  keeping  along  the  same  bank,  stopped  for 
the  night  some  two  hours  later  at  Mallagohono.  Here  we 
found  an  abandoned  town — deserted  probably  by  its  in- 
habitants in  consequence  of  the  death  of  their  chief — 
surrounded  by  thick  wood,  of  wdiich  we  lost  no  time  in 
obtaining  as  large  a  supply  as  w^e  could  load  on  the  boat. 
This  wood-cutting  is  the  main  occupation  of  the  crew 
every  evening — and  a  wearisome  duty  it  is.  The  cooks 
are  of  course  exempt,  for  they  have  to  ply  their  art  simul- 
taneously, but  every  one  else  has  to  fall  to  with  axe  or 
saw,  and  if  avc  camp  at  sundown,  the  task  is  rarely  done 
before  9  p.m. 

It  has  often  occurred  to  me,  when  on  duty  at  this  weird- 
looking  and  vexatious  labour,  so  indispensable  to  our  exist- 
ence on  the  river,  that  it  is  in  some  respects  an  encouraging- 
type,  and,  as  it  were,  a  miniature,  of  the  task  w-e  have  under- 
taken for  Africa.  The  deep  silence  of  the  w^oods  immediately 
beside  the  river- — no  place  is  less  resonant  than  the  forest — 


WOOD-CUTTING.  29 


devours  the  echo  of  the  axe  blow,  the  rasping  of  the  saw. 
The  firehght  irradiates  but  a  few  yards  of  grass  and  shrubs, 
and  glints  on  leathery  leafage  of  more  distant  trees,  but 
only  soon  to  die  in  the  unfathomable  depths  of  outer 
darkness.  Meantime  the  wood-pile  grows,  and  as  the  river 
murmurs  by  in  its  eternal  ebb,  our  task  is  done.  Not  other- 
wise the  greater  life-war  that  we  wage  with  ignorance  and 
barbarism  in  Africa,  their  last  great  stronghold  in  the  world. 
Amid  the  wilderness,  how  limited  the  civilising  influence  of 
each  station !  How  vain,  too,  seems  the  noble  holocaust  of 
human  life,  those  lives  in  which,  alas  !  we  are  compelled 
to  lay  the  deep  foundations  of  regenerated  social  life  in 
Africa  !  How  firm  the  grasp  with  which  the  pioneer  must 
hold  the  gospel  of  all  human  progress  and  true  conquest, 
even  that  "  whosoever  shall  seek  to  save  his  life  shall  lose 
it ;  and  whosoever  shall  lose  his  life  shall  preserve  it ; " 
yet  surely  as  the  river  of  our  time  flows  on  to  the  great 
ocean  of  eternity,  our  work  is  done,  the  toilsome  task 
achieved.* 

This  portion  of  the  river  is  extremely  broad,  the  opposite 
shore  being  almost  invisible,  and  the  current,  at  the  season 
at  which  we  ascended  the  stream,  imperceptible.  Next 
morning,  proceeding  on  our  voyage,  we  found  the  river 
narrowing,  and  on  rounding  the  first  point  we  encountered 
a  decidedly  rapid  current.      Intending  to  keep   to   the   left 

*  Since  these  remarks  were  written,  I  have  heard  with  deep  regret  of  tlie  loss  which  tlie 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  has  recently  (July  i8S8)  sustained  in  the  deaths  of  my  kind  frieiid 
Mr.  Darling  of  Lutete,  and  of  Mr.  Comber,  the  head  official  of  the  Society's  ^lission  on  the 
Congo.  Tiie latter  gentleman,  universally  n^spected  for  his  high  cliaractiT  and  kindly  dis- 
position, was,  I  believe,  the  last  of  three  brothers  who  have  all  fallen  victims  to  the  climate, 
and  to  their  devotion  to  the  cause  of  humanity  and  religion  in  this  part  of  Africa. 


30  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


shore,  we  had  to  content  ourselves  with  coasting  along  and 
outside  an  island  which  was  separated  from  that  bank  by  a 
narrow  and  unnavigable  channel,  from  which  it  is  probable 
that  watercourse  emanates  which  I  mentioned  before  as 
coming  out  into  the  main  stream  again  below  the  deserted 
Wabuma  fishing-village.  Still  keeping  to  the  same  bank,  we 
arrived  at  Nkiile,  where  we  crossed  to  the  eastern  side  of 
the  river.  Thence  we  kept  on  up-stream  a  short  distance, 
and  recrossing  to  Nganebecca,  where  we  found  the  Stanley 
awaiting  us,  we  pitched  camp.  Next  morning,  passing 
through  numerous  groups  of  islands — uninteresting  in  every 
way — we  crossed  opposite  to  two  small  villages,  above  which 
the  river  narrows  to  a  little  over  a  mile  in  width.  Keeping 
along  the  same  bank,  we  were  abreast  at  2  p.m.  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Kwango  river,  and  thus  arrived  at  the  termination  of 
that  portion  of  the  stream  known  as  the  Kwa. 


HUT  NEAR  MOUNT  POGGE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Huts  at  Bosjie — River  nomenclature — Forest  villages  and  market-places — Excellent  native 
iron-work — Mount  Pogg^ — Probable  embouchure  of  the  Lukenye — Curious  huts — 
Timidity  of  the  inhabitants — An  uncomfortable  night — Hippopotami,  buffaloes,  and 
cowbirds — Accident  to  the  Stanley — Hostility  of  the  Basongo-Meno — Their  towns  and 
punishment — A  jovial  chief — Repairs  to  the  Stanloj — The  expedition  nearly  blown  up 
— The  Luangi — An  unknown  tribe — A  night  upon  the  river. 


Proceeding  a  short  distance  up  the  Kasai,  we  encamped  for 
the  night  at  a  village  called  Bosjie.*     Here  we  noticed  that 

*  There  is  another  Bosjie  m.entioned  by  Stanley  farther  down  tlie  river.  The  Bosjie 
mentioned  in  the  text  I  have  named  for  distinction's  sake  after  its  discoverer  "  Bosjie- 
Massari." 


32 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


the  form  of  the  huts  is  distinctly  different  from  that  adopted 
in  the  lower  courses  of  the  Kwa  and  Congo.    They  are  circu- 


HUTS  AT  BUSJIE-MA.SSAKI. 


lar  in  plan,  and  in  elevation  conical,  somewhat  resembling  in 
outline  a  North  American  Indian  wigwam,  while  the  hihabi- 


RIVER  NOMENCLATURE.  33 

tants  seemed  to  be  of  another,  and,  it  is  possible,  a  mixed 
race.  The  riparian  scenery,  too,  of  the  Kasai  above  its 
junction  with  the  Kwango  is,  for  some  distance,  very  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  united  rivers  below,  being  richly 
wooded  not  only  at  the  water's  edge,  but,  so  far  as  we  could 
observe,  for  a  great  distance  inland.  In  fact,  the  junction 
of  the  Kwango  with  the  Kasai  marks  a  natural  division  in 
the  conformation  of  the  drainage  system  of  which  it  forms  a 
part.  The  Kwango  rises  in  the  high  country  about  Kassange, 
some  220  miles  from  the  coast,  and  running  north-east,  after 
a  sinuous  course  of  about  900  miles,  in  which  it  makes  a 
very  considerable  descent,  it  pours  its  waters  into  the  Kasai 
in  latitude  3.40°  south,  and  longitude  17.10°  east.  The 
Kwango  is  the  first  large  tributary  river  possessing  a  really 
independent  existence,  source,  and  system,  that  enters  the 
Kasai,  or  whatever  we  are  to  call  the  great  river  joining  the 
Congo  at  Kwamouth.  I  say  "  the  first,"  because  the  Nzali 
Mpini,  whether  pouring  additional  waters  into  the  Congo  by 
its  union  with  the  Kwa  or  merely  returning  to  the  main 
stream  the  water  originally  derived  from  it  through  Lake 
Leopold  II.  or  not,  is  only  a  short  river,  lying  wholly  in 
the  Congo  valley,  and  at  an  inconsiderable  distance  from 
the  main  stream,  to  which  its  course  is  nearly  parallel.  The 
Kwango  is  not  navigable  except  for  a  short  distance  above 
its  mouth,  and  at  certain  points  higher  in  its  course,  and  we 
did  not,  both  on  this  account,  and  because  we  knew  that 
the  exploration  of  the  Kwango  was  occupying  the  individual 
attention  of  more  than  one  explorer,  trouble  ourselves  to 
make  any  investigation  of  its  embouchure.* 

*  Vide  Appendix  D. 


34  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

On  October  T6th  we  did  not  continue  our  journey  until 
near  mid-day,  when,  steaming  up-stream,  we  found  the  river 
narrowing  to  half  a  mile  in  breadth,  and  in  some  places  even 
less.  The  channel,  too,  was  much  impeded  with  sunken 
rocks,  which,  amid  the  swiftly  rushing  waters,  made  naviga- 
tion both  difficult  and  dangerous.  Leaving  these  narrows 
behind  us,  at  2  p.m.  we  entered  a  rapidly  spreading  sheet  of 
water,  where,  the  current  gradually  vanishing,  we  made  good 
progress,  and,  crossing  to  the  left  bank,  we  passed  many 
small  villages,  the  inhabitants  of  which  crowded  their  landing- 
places  to  witness  the  unwonted  sight  which  we  presented. 
These  villages  are  built  on  the  very  brink  of  the  river,  and 
amid  the  densest  forest,  apparently  spreading  for  a  considerable 
distance  in  all  directions ;  but  as  there  were  almost  no  clear- 
ings round  the  houses,  nor  signs  of  any  gardens  or  plantations 
beyond  a  few  banana  trees,  it  is  probable  either  that  the 
country  in  their  rear  is  more  open  than  it  seems,  or  that  the 
inhabitants  are  fishermen  who  obtain  their  grain  by  barter. 
I  incline  to  think  the  latter  view  of  the  case  the  correct  one, 
because  I  observed  in  the  vicinity  of  several  of  these  villages 
the  largest  market-places  that  I  have  seen  anywhere  in  the 
Congo  State.  At  night  we  encamped  on  a  small  open  plain 
raised  high  over  the  river  level,  and  above  laterite  cliffs 
below  which  our  steamers  were  moored.  At  a  short  distance 
were  two  villages,  whose  inhabitants  fled  at  our  approach, 
but  recovering  their  courage  by  degrees,  found  heart,  in 
the  morning,  to  venture  into  camp  with  various  articles  for 
exchange.  Besides  provisions,  they  brought  several  weapons 
that  displayed  their  skill  as  iron-workers — e.g.,  arrow- 
heads, spears,  knives,  &c.     When  one  considers  the  circum- 


NATIVE  IRON-WORK. 


35 


stances  under  which  these  people  must  have  to  work,  and  the 
tools  at  their  command,  their  success  in  turning  out  such 
excellent  specimens  of  workmanship  is  almost  marvellous. 
Their  iron  is,  we  found,  obtained  from  the  ferruginous  deposit 
of  certain  small  streams,  which  being  collected  during  the 
dry  season,  is  made  into  cakes,  and  stored  for  use  as  occasion 
may  demand.  In  what  manner  this  iron  is  made  ready  for 
the  anvil  I  did  not  learn,  but  the  tools  with  which  they 
fashion  it  are,  besides  their  anvils  and  bellows,  which  resemble 
those  used  elsewhere  on  the  Congo,  pincers  of  iron,  and 
pounders  of  hard  water-worn  stone.  Leaving  our  moorings, 
we  steamed  away  uneventfully  until  3  p.m.,  when  we  made  fast 
to  a  high  bank  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  where  a  small 
native  village,  excellently  placed  for  defence,  was  deserted 
at  our  approach.  This  is  a  good  place  for  wooding,  and,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  one  of  the  last  before  coming  to  a  part  of  the 
river's  course  in  which  we  experienced  no  small  difficulty  in 
obtaining  fuel,  owing  to  the  remarkable  absence  of  wood 
on  both  banks.  On  the  i8th,  before  we  started  again  on 
our  way,  some  of  the  natives  came  in  to  see  us,  amongst 
them  a  chief  carrying  as  a  sceptre  or  emblem  of  office  a 
human  thigh-bone,  from  which  circumstance,  and  from  other 
symptoms  of  extreme  savagery,  we  concluded  that  they  be- 
longed probably  to  those  cannibal  tribes  against  which  the 
natives  lower  down-stream  had  frequently  warned  us.  This 
morning  Mr.  Vander  Felson  was  taken  ill  with  fever,  and 
Mr.  Olsen  accordingly  came  on  board  to  navigate  the 
]^n  Avant.  Nothing  of  any  moment  occurred  this  day,  during 
which  we  kept  mainly  to  the  left  bank,  but  on  the  19th  we 
encountered  numbers  of  hippopotami,  who  fled,  however,  at  our 


36  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

approach.  The  20th  we  spent  in  camp,  or,  rather,  in  shoot- 
ing in  its  vicinity.  Amongst  the  game  secured  was  an  eland 
and  a  female  hippopotamus,  of  which  the  Baluba  made  a  royal 
feast.  On  the  21st,  about  11  a.m.,  we  sighted  Mount  Pogge, 
so  called  by  Lieut.  Wissmann  after  Dr.  Pogge,  under  whose 
command  he  had  made  his  debut  as  an  African  explorer.  It 
is  a  round-topped  hill,  bare  of  trees  on  the  summit,  and  reach- 
ing an  elevation  which  cannot  greatly  exceed  400  feet  above 
the  water,  but  from  the  abrupt  manner  in  which  it  rises  from 
the  river  plain,  most  noticeable  as  a  landmark.  Its  lower 
platform  would  serve  as  an  excellent  site  for  a  station ; 
easily  defensible,  commanding  the  adjacent  country  far  and 
near,  and  probably  the  most  healthy  locality  for  a  very  wide 
distance  around.  Mount  Pogge  is  the  apparently  highest  and 
terminating  point  of  a  range  of  low  hills  running  in  a  north- 
easterly direction  froijn  the  river,  which  assumes  again  at 
this  point  a  lacustrine  character.  It  is  from  3  to  3^  miles 
broad,  though  navigation  is  much  impeded  by  sandbanks 
and  islands.  The  latter,  mostly  large  and  grassy,  are  in- 
habited by  fishermen,  whose  light  canoes  are  constantly  to 
be  seen  passing  in  and  out  of  the  winding  channels  and 
reedy  shores.  I  am  myself  of  opinion  that  the  river 
Lukenye  enters  the  Kasai  from  the  east  behind  these 
islands.*  The  general  conformation  of  the  surrounding 
countiy  shows  that  a  large  river  must  descend  from  that 
quarter,  and  the  shape  of  the  Kasai  itself  seems  to  confirm 
that  hypothesis.  Time  forbade  our  doing  more  than  making 
an  extremely  superficial  investigation  of  the  inner  channels 
between  the  islands,   but  we  found  a  considerable  flow  of 

*  Vide  Appendix  E. 


CURIOUS  HUTS.  37 


water  setting  outwards  in  all  of  them.  We  formed  our 
camp  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Kasai,  and  therefore  opposite 
Mount  Pogge,  at  2  p.m.  I  was  sent  forthwith  by  Dr.  Wolf 
in  our  whaleboat  with  ten  men  to  visit  some  villages  upon 
the  hillside  which  we  observed  from  our  camp  embowered 
in  plantains,  the  most  luxuriant  I  had  seen  since  leaving 
the  coast.  Our  errand  was  to  procure  provisions,  and  to 
ascertain  the  race  and  disposition  of  the  inhabitants.  Land- 
ing, and  leaving  the  boat  in  charge  of  two  men,  I  entered 
the  nearer  of  the  two  villages,  some  two  hundred  yards  from 
the  beach.  Finding  that  the  inhabitants  had  fled,  probably 
at  the  first  sign  of  our  approach,  I  pushed  on  to  the  second 
village,  but  with  no  better  result.  Sending  the  men  to 
forage  as  best  they  might,  I  took  the  opportunity  of  observ- 
ing the  structure  of  the  houses.  These  were  framed  with 
stout  timber  of  various  kinds,  covered  with  bamboo  on 
the  walls,  the  roofs  being  thatched  with  grass  and  broad 
leaves.  They  were  of  unusual  height  for  native  dwellings, 
with  eaves  at  least  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and  being  rec- 
tangular in  plan,  are  gabled  with  widely  projecting  roofs. 
Their  great  peculiarity,  however,  consists  in  the  way  in 
which  the  entrance  door  is  contrived  :  it  might  indeed  be 
better  called  a  window.  The  sill  or  threshold  of  this  door 
is  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and  is  gained  by  mount- 
ing upon  a  staging  or  platform  some  five  feet  in  height. 
Internally  there  must  be  a  ladder  or  movable  steps,  though 
in  those  houses  into  which  I  looked  there  was  a  sheer 
descent  to  the  floor  level.  This  form  of  door  seems  to 
denote  a  people  constantly  at  variance  with  neighbouring 
tribes,  and  needing  some  form  of  protection  against  sudden 


38  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

surprises  or  attempted  robbery.  I  may  perhaps  as  well 
note  that  whenever,  through  the  flight  of  the  inhabitants, 
we  were  unable  to  arrange  any  exchange  for  the  provi- 
sions we  required,  we  made  it  our  practice  to  take  what  we 
wanted,  leaving  instead  thereof  its  full  value  in  merchandise 
or  cowries.  During  the  night  we  had  our  first  experience 
since  leaving  the  Pool  of  really  heavy  rain.  There  were 
only  a  few  peals  of  thunder,  but  from  soon  after  sunset  until 
sunrise  the  rain  descended  in  torrents.  I  had  rather  a  dis- 
mal time  of  it,  as  it  was  my  duty  to  turn  out  from  time  to 
time  to  see  that  the  sentries  were  at  their  posts  ;  otherwise 
we  were  fairly  comfortable  ourselves  :  our  unhappy  people 
were  in  sorry  plight,  poor  things  !  The  morning  was  bright 
and  clear,  and  on  leaving  our  moorings  we  parted  company 
with  the  Stanley,  and  proceeded  along  the  right  shore,  to 
which  we  crossed,  our  consort  keeping  to  the  bank  on  which 
we  had  encamped.  We  met  with  great  difficulty  in  navi- 
gating the  shallow  and  intricate  channels,  and  had  as  fre- 
quently the  delay  and  trouble  of  pushing  the  steamer  off. 
However,  we  circumnavigated  a  multitude  of  islands,  some 
little  better,  indeed,  than  sandbanks,  but  the  great  majority 
of  them  wooded  more  or  less,  and  inhabited  seemingly 
by  fishermen,  who,  a  guilty  conscience,  doubtless,  driving 
them,  precipitately  fled  at  our  approach,  scurrying  to  the 
mainland  as  fast  as  their  canoes  could  be  made  to  bear  them. 
Hippopotami  swarmed  in  the  narrow  creeks  and  channels 
that  we  had  to  thread,  and  on  the  mainland  bank  we  once 
saw  a  fine  herd  of  buffaloes  standing  partly  in  the  sedge,  a 
crowd  of  snow-white  cowbirds  hopping  from  back  to  back. 
No   sooner   did    they   see    us,    than,    with    tails    erect,   they 


HOSTILITY  OF  B  A  SOX  GO  MEXO.  39 

scampered  off  with  many  an  angiy  snort  across  the  plain. 
At  about  5.30  P.M.  we  regained  the  main  channel  of  the 
Kasai,  and  came  up  with  the  Stanley,  on  speaking  with 
whose  people  we  were  informed  that  they  had  been  fired 
upon  by  the  Basongo  Meno  *  at  a  town  lower  down  the 
river,  and  in  return  had  dispersed  their  assailants,  exact- 
ing some  little  satisfaction  in  the  way  of  ivory  tusks,  &c. 
Landing  on  a  grassy  island,  where  we  designed  to  encamp 
for  the  night,  it  was  curious  to  observe  the  Baluba  divid- 
ing themselves  into  scouting  parties  for  the  purpose  of 
searching  even-  tussock  of  grass  and  bush  that  could 
afford  shelter  to  an  enemy.  This  they  did  unbidden,  but 
doubtless  scenting  danger,  or  perhaps  instinctively  after 
the  encounter  of  the  day  :  the  first  active  manifestation  of 
hostility  we  had  met  with  from  the  natives  in  our  ascent  of 
the  river.  This  search  being  completed  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  our  friends,  we  pitched  camp,  watch  being  kept 
all  night  by  squads  of  Baluba  who  volunteered  for  the 
service.  Shortly  after  leaving  camp  next  morning,  and 
while  we  were  following  in  her  wake,  the  Stanley  s  pump 
broke  down,  and  she  had  to  be  moored  at  once  on  the 
nearest  island  for  repairs.  We  utilised  the  remainder  of  the 
day  in  helping  the  Stanley's  people  to  re-assort  her  freight. 
On  the  24th.  Dr.  Wolf  judging  that  the  towns  which 
we  should  probably  pass  to-day  ought  to  be  punished  for 
their  barbarous  attack  upon  Lieut.  Wissmann's  expedition, 
we  left  the  Stanley  still  repairing  damages,  and  having 
taken  on  board  the  En  Avant  as  large  an  armed  force  as 
.she    could    cam',   and    taking   in    tow    also    the   whaleboat. 

*  Vide  Appendix  F. 


40  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

similarly  laden,  we  proceeded  to  the  landing-plaxjes  of  the 
towns  indicated.  Leaving  the  boat*  in  charge  of  Mr. 
Oken,  >Ir.  Vander  Fekon  being  still  indisposed,  we  sent 
on  an  advanced  party  of  six  men  under  the  interpreter 
Humba,  with  orders  to  keep  about  200  yards  ahead  of  the 
main  body.  At  first  our  path  lay  through  dense  jungle,  on 
clearing  which,  and  debouching  upon  an  open  space  planted 
with  maize,  &c.,  we  heard  a  volley  discharged — as  it  after- 
wards transpired — ^by  our  advanced  party  against  a  body  of 
natives  who  had  attacked  them.  This  rencontre  resulted  in 
the  death  of  one  of  the  attacking  party,  and  the  flight  of  the 
rest.  Proceeding  through  a  plantation,  we  came  to  a  small 
villajre  of  some  fifty  huts,  similar  in  structure  to  those  I  have 
described  as  being  near  to  3Iount  Pogge.  As  this  place 
was  deserted,  we  passed  on  at  once  to  the  main  portion  of 
the  town,  which  we  found  to  be  regularly  built,  and  in  a 
state  of  thorough  order  and  cleanliness.  The  paths  were  all 
disposed  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  every  hut  was 
surrounded  with  cultivated  borders  planted  with  a  species  of 
hemp  (Cannahis  indica).  ITie  larger  plantations  and  clear- 
ings surrounding  the  town  had  been  recently  harvested  : 
there  remained  only  the  newly^  sown  maize  and  ground-nuts 
beginning  to  break  through  the  soil.  The  town  being, 
like  its  suburb,  completely  deserted,  we  had  an  excellent 
opportunity  of  examining  the  domestic  arrangements  and 
economy  of  the  inhabitants.  Inside  the  huts,  in  addition 
to  the  more  usual  cooking-pots  of  rude  earthenware, 
spoons  of  wood  or  of  shell,  wooden  platters,  rough  sleep- 
ing mats,  and  the  like,  we  found  a  large  number  of 
ivory  pestles,  formed  of  the  solid  portion  of  small  elephant 


A   BASON  GO  MENO  TOWN.  41 


tusks — an  rmmistakablc  sign  of  tlie  owners'  entire  isolation 
from  commercial  intercourse  with  the  outer  world.  Of  arms, 
we  obtained  a  great  quantity  of  arrows,  some  tipped  with 
iron,  a  few  with  copper,  but  by  far  the  greater  number  made 

from  the  centrnl  spine  of  tlif  pMlni-lfsif,  tlio  points  bfiiig 
encrusted  witlj  prjisfjii  ;  nlso  ;t  iiinnli'T  <\\'  hr)\\s,  wliifli  we 
destroyed  before  leaving,  wlicw  we  ;ip)))opii;i,tf:d  ;ill  that  was 
worth  removing.  Proceeding  tr>  examine  a  house  wc  found 
a  considerable  difference  as  to  length  between  the  interior 
and  exterior  measurements.  As  this  could  only  be  accounted 
for  by  assuming  that  there  was  some  narrow  conijj;irtinent 
forniffl  in  tlje  widtli  of  tlie  end  \\;i]l  ftppfjsiU;  to  tlif;  onti'ji.nce 
floor  o)'  wJndou',  or,  nioro-  correct  I}-,  hr^tufcn  the  cjnlM-  wall 
and  a  false  one  within,  we  essayerl  to  makf'  trial  <>['  tliis  tlio'ory, 
and  were  rewarded  by  discoverijig  in  every  house  a  secret 
store,  which,  being  filled  with  provisions  of  all  kinds,  yielded 
both  an  immediate  supply  for  dwv  wants,  and  a  satisfactory 
solatium  for  the  wrongs  of  Lieut.  Wissmann's  party.  All 
the  houses  consisted  of  one  apartment,  except  tliat  whicli  we 
supposed  belonged  to  the  chief,  and  which,  although  not  so 
very  much  larger  than  those  of  his  sul^jects,  was  subdivided 
into  three,  but  there  was  no  store  oi'  concealed  conif^ajtmojit 
at  the  end.  Externally  this  house  was  distinguishffl  1)\  an 
enclosure  of  palm  fronds,  by  its  greater  height,  aiifl  by  many 
trophies  of  the  chase.  Having;  ff)llf'ctf;d  as  miif:h  agricul- 
tural produce  and  stores  as  the  men  could  carry,  as  well 
as  the  more  valuable  of  the  household  utensils  and  aims, 
and  capturing  as  much  ]i\e  stock  as  came  in  our  way,  we 
retraced  our  steps  to  the  steamer  after  setting  fire  to  the 
houses.      On    passing   the   spot    wlioic    the  native  paity   lia,d 


42  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


met  our  advance,  and  where  the  body  of  the  man  who  had 
been  shot  lay,  we  found  that  a  poor  little  boy  had  ventured 
out  of  the  jungle  and  was  weeping  beside  the  corpse, 
possibly  that  of  his  father.  We  could  make  nothing  of 
his  language,  none  of  our  Baluba  even  being  able  to  inter- 
pret his  words  or  to  make  themselves  understood.  I  pro- 
posed to  take  him  with  us,  that,  after  a  civilising  process, 
we  might  return  him  some  day  to  his  people,  and  by  him 
explain  to  them  effectually  that  our  disposition  was  not 
hostile,  save  only  to  the  evil-doers  of  robbery  and  wrong. 
Dr.  Wolf,  however,  concluded  to  leave  him,  though,  fearing 
the  excessive  zeal  of  our  savage  followers,  I  waited  beside 
the  child  until  all  had  passed  by.  We  found  Mr.  Olsen 
and  the  steamer  in  safety,  and  duly  embarked  our  booty, 
wherewith  we  at  once  descended  the  river  towards  the  spot 
at  which  the  Stanley  was  repairing.  On  the  way  down, 
we  stopped  at  a  village  which  we  had  passed  in  the  morning, 
believing  it  to  have  been  deserted.  Approaching  the  shore, 
we  observed  a  solitary  figure  dancing  and  gesticulating  in 
a  violent  and  eccentric  manner.  It  turned  out  that  this 
individual  was  the  chief,  who,  having  fortified  himself  with 
palm-wine,  had  thus  gained  courage  to  welcome  us  to  his 
dominions.  Unfortunately  we  could  only  communicate  with 
him  by  signs,  by  which,  however,  we  succeeded  in  making 
him  understand  that  we  did  not  intend  to  do  him  any  injury. 
Upon  this  he  called  loudly  to  some  people  concealed  in  the 
woods,  whence,  in  response  to  his  cries,  several  Avomen,  and 
one  intelligent  and  presentable  young  man,  shortly  after 
made  their  appearance.  The  women  were,  indeed,  deplor- 
ably degraded   specimens   of   humanity,   an    opinion    which 


REPAIRS  TO  THE  "STANLEY." 


43 


Dr.  Wolf's  careful  examination  confirms ;  the  low  animal 
look  and  expression  of  their  faces  being  unredeemed  by  any 
indication  of  intellectual  force.  Their  clothing  was  of  the 
scantiest  that  I  have  ever  seen  ;  merely  a  small  oblong  strip 
(about  three  inches  by  two)  of  grass-cloth  worn  in  front,  a 
bunch  of  feathers  being  deemed  sufficient  adornment  for 
the  back,  which  articles  were  connected  and  maintained  in 
position  by  a  zone  of  antelope  hide.  Their  teeth  were  very 
curiously  filed  and  their  bodies  gashed  with  large  cicatrices, 

but    we     did    not   observe    any  

tattoo  marks.  Before  we  left, 
our  inebriate  old  friend  pre- 
sented us  with  two  goats  and  J 
a  few  bunches  of  plantains, 
so,  what  wdth  one  thing  and 
another,  when  we  once  more 
arrived  at  the  Stanley  we  had 
no  difficulty  in  making  ourselves 
sufficiently  welcome  by  an  equi- 
table division  of  our  riches.  The 
people  whose  towns  we  had 
burned,  as  well  as  the  old  chief  whom  we  had  afterwards 
visited,  belonged  undoubtedly  to  those  tribes  known  to  us 
as  Basongo  Meno,  a  race  which  I  incline  to  identify  with  the 
Tucongo,  whose  proper  territory,  however,  lies  more  to  the 
south  and  south-east. 

We  spent  the  25th  of  October  in  camp,  as  the  Stanley 
was  still  unable  to  proceed,  but  her  repairs  being  completed 
early  in  the  morning  of  the  26th,  we  got  under  way  about 
8  A.M.,  and  proceeded  together  up  the  stream.     We  stopped 


BASONGO  MK.Nn  WOMAN. 


44 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


at  a  small  village  for  the  purpose  of  wooding,  some  miles 
above  the  scene  of  our  recent  expedition.  As  usual,  the 
inhabitants  had  fled  at  our  approach,  but  we  were  able  the 
better  to  examine  their  town.  Here  we  observed  a  form 
of  blacksmith's  bellows  different  from  any  we  had  seen 
before  :  it  had  four  wind-tubes  in  place  of  the  two   generally 

to  be  found.  In  order  to 
deter  these  people  from 
repeating  the  sort  of  con- 
duct tliey  had  pursued 
towards  Lieut.  Wiss- 
mann's  expedition,  we  ap- 
propriated the  two  best 
canoes  we  could  find,  and 
destroyed  the  rest.  Dur- 
ing the  afternoon,  in  as- 
cending the  river,  we 
visited  four  other  towns, 
and  destroyed  the  canoes 
there  also,  encamping  at 
night  on  the  right  bank. 
It  is  to  be  noted  that 
the  stream  had  again  nar- 
rowed, the  current  be- 
the  banks,  also,  were  again 
densely  wooded.  On  the  27th  of  October  nothing  of  any 
moment  occurred,  but  we  observed  throughout  the  day  a  grow- 
ing change  in  the  scenery  along  the  river-banks.  Wherever 
the  ground  was  not  covered  with  luxuriant  natural  forest 
there  were  large  tracts  of  land  under  the  richest  cultivation, 


Ivory  Corn  Pounder 

BASONGO  MENO  IMPLEMENTS. 

coming  correspondingly  rapid 


THE  EXPEDITION  NEARLY  BLOWN  UP.  45 

and  the  towns  built  upon  the  steeply  rising  shores  presented 
a  picturesque  and  pleasing  appearance,  being  often  backed  by 
swelling  hills  covered  with  gardens  and  plantations.  In  the 
evening  we  encamped  on  the  left  bank  near  some  villages,  the 
inhabitants  of  which  (still  Basongo  Meno)  came  to  visit  us. 
They  were  lighter  in  colour  than  those  of  the  same  race  whom 
we  had  seen  farther  down  the  river,  and  were  undoubtedly 
less  savage,  and  more  friendly,  although  so  far  predatory 
in  their  inclinations  that  a  strict  watch  had  to  be  kept 
over  their  movements,  in  spite  of  which,  however,  they 
contrived  to  purloin  a  cartridge-bag,  and  a  few  other  small 
articles.  They  were  willing,  indeed  anxious,  to  trade,  and 
brought  into  camp  an  abundance  of  fowls,  fine  fish,  bananas, 
yams,  &c.,  pine-apples,  and  some  excellent  palm-wine,  of 
which  Mr.  Schneider's  servant  Manoel,  who  happened  to  be 
waiting  upon  me,  imbibed  so  freely,  that  he  was  very  near  blow- 
ing the  whole  expedition  to  atoms  by  brandishing  a  candle 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  expense  ammunition,  which  had 
been  placed  for  security  in  my  tent.  Luckily  he  was  caught 
in  time,  and  promptly  punished.  At  this  camp  was  a  magni- 
ficent borassus  palm,  the  last  we  saw  in  ascending  the  river. 

On  the  28th  of  October  we  arrived  off  the  mouth  of 
the  Luangi.  I  had  remained  on  board  the  Stanley  this 
day  for  a  little  change — Mr.  Vander  Felson  having  com- 
pletely recovered  his  health  and  resumed  his  duties.  AVe 
encamped  for  the  night  on  a  sand- spit  at  the  confluence, 
but  the  En  Avant  did  not  come  up  to  camp  until  long 
after  dark.  The  following  day  (October  29th)  we  devoted 
entirely  to  exploring  the  rivers  and  district  generally.  It 
was    found   that    the    Luangi    was    not    only    choked    Avitli 


46 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


sandbanks,  and  blockaded  at  its  month  with  a  bar,  but 
was  deficient  in  flow  of  water — a  remarkable  circumstance," 
considering  the  length  of  the  river,  which  must  exceed 
500  miles.  Such  water  as  there  was  appeared  to  be  much 
discoloured  with  laterite.  The  land  to  the  south-east  of 
the  embouchure  lies  very  low,  and  is,  in  fact,  a  swamp 
covered  with  dense  jiuigle,  extending  apparently  for  a 
considerable  distance  inland.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
Luangi  the  ground  rises  into 
low  hills,  but  is  also  thickly 
wooded,  and  on  neither  shore 
did  we  observe  any  sign  of 
human  habitations  or  inha- 
bitants. The  opposite  bank 
of  the  Kasai",  however,  is  well 
populated,  and  there  are  several 
towns,  from  which  the  people 
crossed  to  our  camp,  bringing 
a  variety  of  articles  for  barter, 
including  ivory,  for  which  they 
were  desirous  of  obtaining  cop- 
per. It  is  probable  that  the  greater  friendliness  of  these 
people  arises  from  trade  intercourse  with  Angola.  We  did 
not  go  into  the  towns,  which  are  palisaded,  as  if  for  defence 
and  protection  against  troublesome  neighbours,  but,  from 
what  we  could  see  of  them,  we  believed  the  huts  to  be  con- 
structed similarly  to  those  of  the  Basongo  Meno  already  de- 
scribed. The  people  themselves  we  could  not  identify  with 
any  known  tribe,  but  though  most  like  the  Basongo  Meno, 
they  were  evidently  much  less   savage.     Although   without 


BASONGO  MENO  YOUTH. 


A  NIGHT  UPON  THE  RIVER.  47 

marks  of  tattooing,  they  were  curiously  gashed  both  on  face 
and  body,  the  cicatrices  presenting  often  a  hideous  appear- 
ance. Their  teeth  were  not  filed,  but  the  two  centre  teeth 
in  the  upper  jaw  were  removed. 

Next  morning  (October  30th),  the  Stanley  left  the 
camping-ground,  where  we  had  thus  passed  two  successive 
nights,  about  an  hour  and  a  half  before  the  Un  Avant, 
to  which  I  had  now  returned.  Consequently  it  behoved 
us  to  hasten  as  much  as  possible  in  overtaking  our  consort, 
whereby  we  once  more  proved  the  truth  of  the  old  adage, 
"  the  more  haste  the  less  speed ; "  for  starting  without  a 
suflEicient  stock  of  firewood,  we  had  to  stop  at  the  first  place 
which  seemed  to  promise  a  supply.  This  was  a  spot  on  the 
right  and  inhabited  bank  of  the  river,  but  the  natives  watched 
our  proceedings  in  no  unfriendly  spirit,  and  we  went  on  our 
way  without  further  noteworthy  incident. 

Still  endeavouring  to  overtake  the  Stanley,  we  steamed 
on  late  into  the  evening  instead  of  mooring  the  vessel  and 
camping  out.  We  were  aware  that  there  were  many  sand- 
banks ahead  of  us  in  that  part  of  the  river  in  which  we  had 
arrived,  but  hoped  that  with  due  care  we  should  avoid  them. 
Unhappily,  however,  in  the  gloom  we  grounded,  and  though 
we  soon  got  off"  again,  yet,  finding  it  impossible  to  free 
ourselves  from  the  intricacies  of  the  navigation,  we  were 
obliged  to  cast  anchor  where  we  were,  mid-stream,  and 
spend  the  night  upon  the  water.  We  were  lying  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  shore,  and  through  the  warm  haze  of 
evening  the  light  breeze  bore  towards  us  the  sound  of 
tom-toms  beating  in  the  distant  villages,  either  as  a  signal 
of  danger,  or  for  the  dances  with  which  the  natives  while 


48 


UXDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


away  their  leisure  time.  Below,  the  almost  silent  river 
flowed  sullenly  on  to  its  far-off  death  in  the  far-off  sea,  its 
soft  and  soothing  music  varied  only,  as  the  night- advanced, 
by  calls  of  wandering  birds,  or  broken  by  the  low  breathing  of 


BASOXGO  MEXO  MARKET-WUMKN. 


the  hippopotamus.  Lights  from  the  villages  glimmered  for 
a  time,  but  died  away  as  the  crescent  moon  rose  in  the  sky, 
and  with  swift  growing  radiance  one  by  one  the  bright 
stars  shone   upon  the   flood,   and   tipped   its   every  wavelet 


FRIENDLY  MARKET-PEOPLE.  49 

with  a  crest  of  gold.  It  seemed  to  me  a  solemn  hour. 
The  river  spoke  of  fleeting  life  and  sorrowful,  lighted  but 
fitfully  by  worldly  hopes  and  aims  ;  but  when  these  die,  as 
die  in  time  they  must,  the  clear  stars  told  of  heavenly 
visions,  bright  promises  and  hopes  of  a  new  life-undying, 
shining  ever  more  and  more  upon  the  restless  waves  of  our 
poor  earthly  life-stream,  on  through  its  night-hours  till  the 
sun  breaks  out  and  shadow-time  is  past. 

The  following  morning  (October  31st)  we  got  away  early, 
and  at  last  happily  made  our  escape  from  the  difficult  posi- 
tion into  which  we  had  calmly  run  ourselves  in  the  dark, 
but  our  wood  was  used  up  almost  to  the  last  log.  Luckily 
we  had  not  far  to  go  before  reaching  an  old  plantation  on 
the  right  bank,  where  we  obtained  a  small  supply  of  dry 
wood.  A  number  of  women  who  were  working  there  came 
down,  inspired  by  friendly  curiosity,  to  look  at  us.  We 
crossed  over  to  the  opposite  shore,  but  meeting  with  an 
increasingly  strong  current,  and  our  wood  again  threaten- 
ing to  become  exhausted,  we  recrossed  the  stream  to  a  point 
at  which  we  saw  some  market-people  making  signals  to  us. 
From  these  friendly  folk  we  procured  a  quantity  of  excellent 
fish,  and  some  good  palm-wine,  and  as  there  was  an  abun- 
dance of  wood  at  hand,  we  did  not  neglect  to  lay  in  an  ample 
supply.  Having  fortunately  encountered  no  sandbanks  or 
other  obstacles  to-day,  we  sighted  the  Stanley  about  4  p.m., 
moored  beside  a  large  island  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Sankoro.  Rejoining  there  the  main  body  of  the  expedition, 
we  found  that  the  natives  had  already  come  forward  in  a 
friendly  manner  with  provisions,  &c.,  and  that  it  was  de- 
cided we  should  remain  here  for  possibly  a  day. 


SHAMMATUKA  FISHING-HUTS 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Sankoro — River  nomenclature  again  discussed — The  relative  magnitude  of  the  Sankoro 
and  the  Kasai — A  picnic — Aquatic  birds  — Bakuba  countr}-  reached — A  theft  and 
quarrel — The  En  Avant  constantly  aground — Price  of  provisions — Friendly  natives — 
The  Lulua  described — Its  fish  and  fishermen — The  end  of  our  voyage. 

The  Sankoro  at  its  junction  with  the  Kasai  is  considerably 
the  narrower  river,  but  manifestly  the  weightier  body  of 
water,  and  although  its  course  at  this  point,  and  for  some 
distance  above  it,  is  south-westerly,  and  nearly  at  right 
angles  to  that  of  the  Kasai,  which  maintains  the  same 
direction  in  its  course  above  the  confluence  which  the 
united  waters  possessed  below  it,  I  am  of  opinion  that  those 
united  waters  should  be  knoAvn  by  the  name  of  the  Sankoro, 


zi-" 


m^m 


■^t\ 


SANKORO  OR  KASAL  51 

at  least  as  far  as  the  confluence  of  the  Kwango,  if  not  to 
Kwamouth.  My  contention  briefly  is,  that  while  it  is  2'>'>^o- 
hahle  that  the  Sankoro  with  its  affluents  drains  as  large 
an  area  as  the  Kasai,  and  possesses  a  greater  volume  of 
water,  it  has  been  proved  to  be  navigable  for  a  consider- 
ably greater  distance,  and  consequently  that  it  occupies,  for 
the  greater  distance,  the  lowest  level  of  the  drainage  area 
common  to  the  two  rivers  and  their  tributaries.  The  ap- 
proximate length  of  the  Sankoro  above  the  confluence  is  660 
miles,  of  which  more  than  300  are  navigable.  Its  general 
course  is  first  from  south  to  north,  thence  east  to  west,  and 
thereafter  north-east  to  south-west.  The  tributaries  on  the 
left  bank  are  the  Lubi  and  the  Lubudi,  with  the  INIuan- 
sangoma,  together  with  several  smaller  streams.  On  the 
opposite  bank  the  chief  affluents  are  the  Lomami  Avith  its 
tributary  the  Lukash.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Kasai  itself, 
and  its  only  large  affluent  from  the  right,  the  Lulua.  have 
each  a  length  of  about  750  miles  :  the  Luebo,  one  of  the 
largest  tributaries  of  the  Lulua,  probably  exceeds  400  miles 
in  length,  but  the  length  of  its  other  tributaries,  the  Lombali 
and  Miaw,  has  not  been  ascertained.  The  tributaries  of 
the  Kasai  on  its  left  bank  are,  besides  smaller  streams,  the 
Chipaka  and  the  Chikumba.  The  Kasai  is  navigable  for 
about  100  miles  above  the  confluence  with  the  Sankoro,  the 
Lulua  being  navigable  for  about  t,o  miles  above  its  junction 
with  the  Kasai.  The  other  tributaries  are  useless  practi- 
cally for  purposes  of  navigation.  Undoubtedly  the  Kasai 
was  the  first  discovered  and  the  first  explored,  and  indeed 
the  Portuguese  have  had  a  certain  cognisance  of  its  exist- 
ence possibly  for  centuries  ;  but  I  must  maintain  that  since 


52  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

physically  it  is  a  tributary  of  the  Sankoro,  its  name  ought 
not  to  supplant  that  of  the  nobler  stream  whose  waters  it 
helps  to  swell:  their  confluence  is  at  4.12°  south  and  20.25° 
east. 

On  the  ist  of  November,  Dr.  AVolf,  Lieut.  Andersson, 
and  myself,  with  a  crew  of  Zanzibaris,  set  off  in  the  whale- 
boat  soon  after  7  a.m.  to  explore  the  embouchure  of  the 
Sankoro.  We  took  with  us  our  rifles,  provisions  for  the 
day,  and  some  instruments.  Rowing  away  from  the  Kasai, 
and  up  the  stream  of  the  Sankoro,  we  threaded  the  narrow 
channel  which  separates  a  long  and  richly-wooded  island 
from  the  right  or  north-western  bank.  This  island  did  not 
appear  to  be  inhabited,  but  the  splendid  growth  of  timber 
upon  it,  and  the  variety  of  the  trees,  embracing  the  cotton- 
wood,  the  mahogany,  and  the  gorgeous  crimson-leaved 
traveller's  tree,  with  its  silvery  bark,  was  really  remarkable. 
The  neighbouring  shore  of  the  mainland  was  also  very 
thickly  wooded,  but  amongst  the  forest  were  several  clear- 
ings with  plantations  and  villages,  the  inhabitants  of  which 
were  friendly,  and  willing  to  trade.  They  sold  us  some  fish 
of  the  usual  kinds,  and  a  few  curios,  such  as  knives  and 
arrows.  We  purchased  from  them  also  a  chief's  cap  of  fine 
workmanship.  Coming  round  the  end  of  the  island,  which 
we  judged  to  be  about  seven  miles  in  length,  we  regained 
the  main  stream  through  a  channel  facing  some  high  cliffs 
of  red  laterite  on  the  north-western  shore,  at  this  point 
hilly,  but  a  brief  space  above,  and  for  many  miles,  low  and 
swampy.  We  ate  our  luncheon  in  the  boat,  and  thereafter 
proceeded  leisurely  to  descend  the  river  to  our  encamp- 
ment at  the  confluence,  where  we   arrived  about  5.50  p.m. 


AQUATIC  BIRDS. 


53 


On  this  day's  excursion  we  observed  for  the  first  time  in 
our  ascent  of  these  rivers  some  hippopotamus  traps,  which, 
if  not  unique  in  plan,  are  certainly  unlike  any  I  have  seen 
lower  down  the  Congo,  or  elsewhere  on  the  west  coast. 
We  secured  no  game,  nor  indeed  did  we  see  any,  except 
some  hippopotami  and  aquatic  birds,  of  which  there  was 
great  abundance  of  all  those  kinds  usually  found  on  the 
Congo  —  both  grey  and 
large  brown  herons,  peli- 
cans, marabout- storks,  ad- 
jutants, ibis  (black  and 
bronze),  flamingoes,  snipe, 
green  sandpipers,  Egyp- 
tian geese,  small  black  and 
white  teal,  black  darters, 
waterhens,  and  the  com- 
mon wild  duck  of  the 
African  west  coast.  These 
last  are  about  the  same 
size  as  the  European  mal- 
lard, but  utterly  unlike 
in  plumage  :  the  head  is 
chocolate  -  coloured   with 

black  neck-ring,  the  back  and  wing-covers  grey,  the  breast 
and  under  part  of  body  silver-grey,  the  legs  and  feet  black, 
the  bill  also  black,  with  yellow  mandible.  Just  before  reach- 
ing our  camp  we  witnessed  a  glorious  sunset.  The  sun  went 
down  behind  the  wooded  hills  and  lofty  red  cliffs  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Kasai,  casting  for  a  short  time  a  deep 
shadow  on  the  farthest  portion  of  the  river  spreading  out 


HIPPOPOTAMUS  TRAP. 


54 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


before  us.  From  behind  the  darkened  hills  the  light 
streamed  up  with  intense  brilliance,  illamining  as  against 
an  opalescent  sky  a  multitude  of  cloudlets,  dyeing  them 
with  the  most  gorgeous  hues  of  orange  and  scarlet  that 
could  be  imagined.  But  the  glory  was  soon  past,  and  by 
the  time  we  regained  our  camp  the  cool  greys  and  neutral 
tints  of  evening  were  already  deepening  round  us  into 
night.  Leaving  our  camp  next  morning  about  7.50  a.m., 
we  proceeded  up  the  stream  of  the  Kasai,  passing  many 
wooded  islands  and  sandbanks. 
We  came  up  with  the  Stanley 
moored  at  an  island  close  to  the 
right  bank,  which  is,  at  this  point, 
richly  clothed  with  forest,  and 
diversified  with  hills  and  cliffs. 
The  opposite  shore  is  a  com- 
plete contrast,  being  very  low  and 
swampy,  and  that  for  a  consider- 
able distance.  Here  we  encamped 
and  set  our  people  early  to  their 
nightly  task  of  cutting  wood,  of 
which  there  was  an  abundance. 
Bakuba,  we  found  friendly,  and  for  the  first  time  in  our 
ascent  of  the  river  we  saw  the  distinctive  Bakuba  head-dress 
— a  small  cap  of  fine  grass,  beautifully  woven,  and  worn  on 
the  extreme  back  of  the  head,  where  it  is  fastened  by  pins 
of  iron  or  copper.  The  sight  of  this  national  badge  greatly 
rejoiced  the  hearts  of  our  Baluba,  who  had  been  secretly 
fearing  that  they  would  never  see  their  native  country 
again.     We  noticed  that  these  people  had  bows  and  arrows 


BAKUBA  HEAD-DKESS. 


The    natives,    who   are 


BALUBA  AND  BAKU B A.  55 

precisely  similar  to  some  that  we  had  purchased  at  the 
Sankoro. 

On  the  3rd  of  November  we  were  early  informed  that 
one  hold  of  the  Stcmley's  had  been  broken  open,  and  that 
a  load  of  salt,  and  the  same  weight  of  cowries,  had  been 
abstracted.  This  theft  had  been  committed  during  the 
night,  and  such  an  air  of  mystery  pervaded  the  whole 
occurrence,  that  we  were  quite  unable  to  discover  the 
thieves.  We  suspected  some  of  our  Zanzibaris,  but  could 
not  prove  our  suspicions.  Leaving  camp  and  proceeding 
up  the  river,  now  flowing  from  S.S.E.,  we  encountered 
a  very  much  stronger  current,  the  channel  having  greatly 
diminished  in  width  and  being  unobstructed  with  islands. 
Steaming  on  until  2  p.m.,  we  moored  on  the  right  bank, 
where  we  found  a  good  wooding-place.  Here  one  of  our 
Baluba  picked  a  quarrel  with  a  Bakuba  who  had  come  to 
our  people  offering  palm-wine  for  sale.  Our  man  seized 
upon  the  wine,  and  refused  to  pay  anything  for  it.  As  he 
was  distinctly  in  the  wrong  and  very  violent,  we  vindicated 
justice  by  punishing  him  severely.  I  had  spent  the  whole 
day  on  board  the  Stanley,  finding  it  a  pleasant  change, 
as,  having  no  responsibility,  I  had  more  leisure  to  observe 
the  river  and  riparian  scenery.  The  mean  breadth  of  the 
stream  is,  hereabouts,  little  short  of  a  mile,  and  both  banks 
are  densely  wooded. 

On  the  4th  of  November  we  left  in  the  E)i  Avant  at 
7.40  A.M.,  and  after  steaming  for  a  short  time,  again  ran 
upon  a  sandbank.  I  say  "  again  "  advisedly,  for  although 
I  have  not  noted  the  frequency  of  such  disasters — they 
were   unspeakably   vexatious,   and   trying  in   every  way  to 


56  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

one's  temper — yet  I  may  as  well  remark  once  for  all  that 
we  were  constantly  aground.  Truly,  either  the  ship  or 
her  skipper  had  a  genuine  affection  for  dry  land,  and  it 
was  the  more  annoying  to  us,  because,  although  the  Stanley 
was  a  larger  vessel,  and  more  heavily  laden,  she  almost 
never  grounded.  After  half  an  hour's  delay  we  succeeded 
in  getting  off  the  sandbank,  and  continued  our  course 
between  numerous  sand-islets  on  which  the  fishermen  had 
erected  temporary  villages  and  huts,  which,  with  their 
parti -coloured  nets  stretched  out  to  dry,  the  groups  of 
idlers  startled  into  sudden  and  surprised  activity  by  our 
approach,  whilst  others  in  their  boats  pursued  their  call- 
ing, presented  altogether  an  animated  and  ever-changing 
picture. 

On  the  river -banks  were  large  manioc  and  banana 
plantations,  and  the  whole  district  through  which  we  were 
now  passing  appeared  to  be  well  cultivated  :  at  any  rate,  it 
is  a  land  of  plenty,  for  we  found  we  could  purchase  two 
fine  capons  for  one  brass  rod  (value  one  penny  halfpenny), 
and  an  excellent  goat  for  two  yards  of  cotton  cloth  (value 
fourpence).  Coming  up  at  6.35  p.m.  to  camp,  whither 
the  Stanley  had  preceded  us,  we  learnt  that  she  had  been 
struck  by  a  hippopotamus  ;  she  was  very  slightly  damaged, 
but  it  is  probable  that  the  hippopotamus  had  more  seri- 
ous occasion  to  regret  the  encounter.  Starting  at  7  a.m. 
on  the  5th,  we  followed  up-stream  in  the  wake  of  the 
Stanley;  but  having  been  unable  to  obtain  any  wood  at 
last  night's  camping-ground,  we  were  soon  obliged  to  stop 
for  fuel  at  a  native  landing-place.  We  had  scarcely  reached 
the   shore   when   a   crowd   of  friendly  natives   gathered   to- 


/ 


THE  LULUA.  57 


gether,  anxious  to  traffic  in  any  available  merchandise, 
including  the  always  welcome  palm -wine,  which  is,  in 
this  part  of  the  continent,  almost  always  used  when  fresh 
and  non-intoxicating,  although  it  cannot  be  indulged  in 
with  perfect  freedom,  or  beyond  the  bounds  of  strict 
moderation,  as  it  has  a  tendency  to  impair  the  digestive 
organs,  and  to  injure  the  health  generally.  Old  palm- 
wine,  and  thoroughly  fermented,  is,  in  my  opinion,  an 
abomination,  and  it  is  a  powerful  intoxicant.  It  is  in 
its  fermented  condition  that  it  is  generally  used  farther 
down  the  Congo.*  Before  we  resumed  our  journey,  Bak- 
wengi  Babiaha,  the  head  chief  of  the  Shammatuka,  came 
to  see  us.  He  was  extremely  well  dressed,  according  to 
their  ideas,  and  was  evidently  much  respected  by  the 
people  generally,  who  grovelled  to  him  in  a  very  abject 
manner.  After  exchanging  a  few  presents,  and  express- 
ing our  mutual  gratification  at  meeting,  w^e  continued  our 
course  about  1.30  p.m.,  having  secured  a  sufficient  supply 
of  wood.  Keeping  along  the  right  bank,  and  passing 
several  islands,  we  sighted  the  Stanley/  at  5.50,  just  as 
she  was  entering  the  Lulua.  Encountering  a  strong  current, 
however,  and  darkness  coming  on,  it  was  fully  8  p.m.  before 
we  gained  our  camping-ground,  being  guided  to  the  spot 
by  the  fires  which  the  Sfanlei/'s  people  had  lighted.  We 
found  them  encamped  on  a  small  island  in  the  Lulua,  where, 

*  Palm-wine  is  merely  the  sap  of  the  palm-tree,  and  is  extracted  from  several  species, 
notably  those  known  by  the  natives  as  Monma  (Borassus),  Matombe,  and  Samba.  It  is 
obtained  by  inserting  a  hollow  reed  into  the  stem  of  the  tree  immediately  below  the 
place  from  which  a  frond  has  been  removed.  The  reed  piercing  the  outer  bark,  taps  the 
pithy  centre  of  the  stem,  and  so  affords  ready  vent  to  the  rising  sap,  which  exudes  through 
the  reed,  and  is  received  in  a  gourd  or  earthen  vessel  attached  thereto.  In  process  of 
time  this  practice  slowly  kills  the  tree. 


S8  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

greatly  to  my  comfort,  my  tent  had  been  already  pitched, 
it,  together  with  my  servant,  being  now  generally  sent 
ahead  in  the  Stanley/.  We  had  some  heavy  rain  during 
the  night,  a  circumstance  that  occasioned  no  small  dis- 
turbance, for  one  of  the  Baluba  chiefs — none  other  than 
Congo  Manena,  by-the-bye  —  being  anxious  lest  some  of 
his  goods  should  be  injured  by  the  wet,  invaded  my  tent 
with  them,  and  gave  me  no  peace  until  he  had  piled  up  a 
quantity  of  boxes  and  things  where  there  was  at  best  but 
little  room. 

It  was  thus  that  we  entered  the  Lulua,  the  last  stage  of 
our  voyage,  prevented  by  the  darkness  from  discerning  the 
landscape,  or  even  observing  the  nearer  features  of  the  river- 
banks.  The  knowledge  that  we  subsequently  acquired 
may  as  well  be  given  here,  since  it  will  thus  serve  best 
to  complement  the  following  narrative  of  events.  At  its 
embouchure,  and  for  a  very  considerable  distance  above  the 
confluence  of  the  Luebo,  the  Lulua  has  a  mean  breadth  of 
400  yards,  and  flows  between  forest-covered  hills  in  a  deep 
though  by  no  means  sinuous  channel,  somewhat  impeded 
in  places  by  rocks  and  shifting  banks  of  coarse  sand.  The 
current  is  strong,  averaging  four  knots  an  hour :  the  water 
clear,  and  when  placed  in  a  glass,  the  colour  of  weak  tea. 
In  the  rainy  season,  however,  when  the  level  of  the  river  is 
some  ten  feet  higher  than  at  other  times,  the  water  is  much 
discoloured  with  laterite  and  the  rich  red  soil  through  which 
some  of  its  tributaries,  notably  the  Musisi,  drive  their  course. 
The  navigation  of  the  Lulua  ceases  at  the  first  rapids,  34 
miles  above  its  mouth,  but  throughout  its  whole  length 
there   are   intervals   of  navigable    water.     The    surrounding 


Sucker  Fish   (N'Kanlo) 
9  Inches 


-^.r„,V?':' 


Electric  Fish  (N  Sula.)  River  Lulua 

b  J  Inchc 


Miniature  r'iUe  lulua  River 
Native  Name  of  FisK'Luzisi " 


»- 


^m^ 


( 


\      Point. f 
'O)      \  Trunl< 


^■■^^. 


(Songi  NZadi)  Lulua  River  no  Scales,  Length  12  Incht 


LULUA   FISH. 


[To  face  2'fffe  59. 


LULU  A  FISH  AND  FISHERMEN.  59 

country  is  all  more  or  less  hilly :  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
river's  course  bare  and  treeless,  but  as  the  Kasai  is  approached, 
covered  with  forest,  and  in  some  spots  with  dense  jungle. 
The  waters  are  infested  with  alligators  and  crocodiles,  enor- 
mous dark  brown  water-rats  as  large  as  rabbits,  also  otters, 
so  that  it  might  well  be  supposed  that,  amid  such  a  multi- 
tude of  enemies,  to  say  nothing  of  the  ravages  of  all  manner 
of  waders  and  aquatic  birds,  the  fish  can  have  but  a  pre- 
carious existence.  They  are,  however,  extremely  numerous, 
and  afford  occupation  and  support  to  a  large  body  of  Bakuba 
and  Chiplumba-Baluba  fishermen.  I  observed  only  three 
fish  (if  fish  they  all  can  be  called)  peculiar  to  the  Lulua : 
one  an  electric  fish,  resembling  in  appearance  and  habits  the 
well-known  catfish ;  another,  a  curious  creature,  destitute 
of  a  mouth,  but  with  a  long  snout  terminating  in  a  kind  of 
sucker,  with  which  the  natives  fancy  it  lives  upon  the  juices 
of  other  fish — they  call  it  Songo  Nzadi,  i.e.,  "elephant  of 
the  river ; "  the  last  is  a  water-snake  about  a  yard  in  length, 
and,  so  far  as  I  could  ascertain,  an  eel  in  most  of  its  habits, 
but  with  scales  and  fangs  like  a  genuine  serpent.  The 
natives,  who  will  all  eat  it,  call  it  "Nkaka." 

On  the  6th  we  were  delayed  until  8  a.m.  in  conse- 
quence of  our  having  to  take  back  from  our  Baluba  the 
arms  and  ammunition  with  which  we  had  provided  them 
while  in  our  service,  as  they  were  now  on  the  edge  of  their 
own  territory.  This  morning,  for  about  an  hour,  the  E)i 
Avant  actually  went  ahead  of  the  Stanley.  At  1 1  a.m.  we 
stopped  on  the  right  bank  to  obtain  wood,  leaving  again 
about  1.30  P.M.,  the  Stanley  having  passed  us  in  the  mean- 
time.    At  6.15  P.M.  we  overtook  our  consort  at  a  deserted 


6o 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


Shammatuka  fishing-village  on  the  same  bank,  and  there 
encamped.  The  houses  here  were  totally  different  from 
any  I  had  seen  farther  down  the  rivers.  They  are  formed 
entirely  with  thin  stems  and  leaves  of  the  creeping  bamboo, 
and  are  of  the  simplest  possible  construction.  During  the 
day  we  had  seen  very  few  of  the  natives :  they  had  probably 


THE  LULUA  KAPIDS  FROM  THE  STATION. 


gone  off  in  dread  of  the  strangers.  There  was  an  appear- 
ance of  poverty  about  their  belongings  quite  unaccountable 
in  a  country  which  looked,  at  any  rate,  as  if  well  supplied 
with  natural  wealth,  although  the  clearings  and  plantations 
amidst  the  luxuriant  forest  were  small  and  far  between. 
One  part  of  the  river  passed  to-day  was  narrow,  and  dan- 
gerous with  sunken  rocks,  and  the  current  was  very  swift. 


THE  END  OF  OUR   VOYAGE.  6i 


Leaving-  early  on  the  7th,  we  proceeded  up  the  river, 
here  very  rapid,  and  impeded  with  dangerous  rocks,  and 
arrived  about  mid-day  at  our  destination,  the  point  at  which 
the  river  Luebo,  coming  from  the  south,  falls  into  the  Lulua, 
which  there  turns  somewhat  abruptly  in  an  easterly  direc- 
tion, and  where,  within  half  a  mile,  its  navigation  is  stopped 
by  boiling  rapids.  We  moored  our  steamer  beside  the 
dense  bush,  where,  I  could  not  help  recollecting,  discon- 
solately, that  my  future  lot  was  for  a  while  to  be  cast,  and 
then  began  to  disembark  the  Baluba,  whose  joy  at  reaching 
their  own  territory  again  was  very  demonstrative.  They  had 
been  singing  and  shouting  through  the  greater  part  of  the 
past  night,  and  now,  when  they  were  put  on  shore,  there 
was  endless  capering  about,  hand-shaking,  and  the  like. 
They  had  a  long  journey  before  them  still,  for  the  distance 
of  Kashia-Calemba  from  the  Luebo  is  about  122  miles  by 
the  native  road ;  but  Calemba  refused  to  allow  his  people  to 
leave  us,  generously  insisting  that  they  should  first  clear  the 
site  of  our  future  station  of  the  primeval  forest  and  jungle. 
In  the  meantime  he  sent  messengers  on  to  his  capital  to 
announce  his  return,  and  to  require  presents  and  supplies  to 
be  brought  to  us.  Our  voyage  was  now  at  an  end,  and  when 
the  Stanley  should  begin  her  descent  of  the  river,  those  of 
us  who  were  to  be  left  at  Luebo  or  to  go  on  to  Luluaburg  '" 
would  enter  upon  a  new  era  in  their  experiences  of  life  in 
Africa.  In  the  afternoon  we  were  visited  by  our  neighbours 
of  the  Bakete   tribe,    whose  towns,    called  Kassenge,  were 

*  The  station  which  Lieut.  Wissmann  had  established  on  the  Lulua,  n(;ar  tlie  Bashilange- 
Baluba  capital,  Kashia-Caleuiba,  and  where  he  had  left  Mr.  Bugslag  in  charge. — Vide 
Argument. 


62  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

quite  near  to  lis,  a  short  distance  inland  from  the  right 
bank  of  the  Lnlua.  They  were  very  friendly,  so  that — 
as  all  onr  party  were  in  good  health  and  spirits — our 
new  station  was  beginning  its  existence  under  propitious 
auspices. 


IN  KASSfeNGE  A^LLAGE. 


CHAPTER  V 


Luebo — Its  environs  and  our  neighbours — The  station  site — Departure  of  the  Stanley — 
The  log-house — Calemba  leaves  for  Kashia-Calemba  followed  by  Dr.  Wolf — Clear- 
ing, levelling,  and  building — Kassengd  and  its  plantations — Habits  and  customs  of 
the  Bakete — Their  preparations  of  tobacco  and  cassava — Christinas  festivities — Daily 
routine  in  station — My  hospitalities — Sunday  in  Central  Africa — Return  of  Dr.  Wolf 
for  the  Nevvf  Year — His  departure  in  En  Avant  for  further  exploration  of  Sankoro — 
Tragic  death  of  native  girl. 

The  territory  in  which  we  had  now  arrived  formed  that  part 
of  the  Bashilange  country  inhabited  by  the  Chiplumba  tribe 
which  lies  between  the  Luhia  and  Kasai,  and  terminates 
towards  the  north  in  an  apex  at  the  junction  of  those  rivers, 
which  form  respectively  its  eastern  and  western  boundaries  : 
the  forests  and  jungles  of  the  Luebo  may  be  taken  as  its 


64  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

southern  limit.  Thus,  as  it  was  determined  to  establish  the 
new  station  exactly  at  the  mouth  of  the  Luebo  valley,  we 
were  to  be  therefore  at  the  extreme  verge  of  the  Bashilange 
territory,  and,  so  far  as  intercourse  with  the  native  races  is 
concerned,  were  more  likely  to  come  into  contact  with  the 
Bakete  and  Bakuba  than  with  the  Baluba,  the  people  who  had 
been  the  means  of  our  coming  into  the  country  ;  for  besides  a 
number  of  Bakuba  fishing-towns  on  the  river,  by  far  our 
nearest  and  most  numerous  neighbours  were  the  Bakete, 
inhabiting  Kassenge,  and  the  villages  beyond.  The  Chip- 
lumba  towns  nearest  to  the  new  station  were  Beni-Kashia, 
about  twenty-two  miles  to  the  southward,  and  on  the  road 
to  Luluaburg  and  Kashia-Calemba ;  and  Biombe,  some  eight 
miles  to  the  west,  and  between  the  Lulua  and  Kasai.  Our 
next  neighbours  beyond  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Chiplumba  country  were  the  Shammatuka,  of  w4iom  I  have 
already  spoken,  and  of  them,  as  indeed,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  of 
the  Chiplumba  towns  also,  the  remark  must  be  made,  that  I 
am  glad  they  w^ere  no  nearer.  In  an  amphitheatre  enclosed 
by  dense  forest,  the  tongue  of  land  which,  after  some  little 
hesitation,  we  selected  as  the  actual  site  of  our  buildings  was 
of  triangular  form,  being  bounded  on  the  north-east  by  the 
Lulua,  on  the  north-w^est  by  the  Luebo,  and  on  the  south  by 
the  forest  and  a  swampy  lagoon,  w^hich,  by-the-bye,  emitted 
swarms  of  mosquitos.*  The  two  longer  sides  of  the  triangle 
measured  about  200  yards,  and  the  base  150  yards.  My 
own  opinion,  which  subsequent  experience  and  discovery 
confirmed,  was  that  a  far  better  site  could  have  been  found 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Luebo,  but  the  strategic  advan- 

*  Vide  Appendix  G. 


TEMPORARY  ARRANGEMENTS. 


65 


tages  of  the  position  chosen  are  no  doubt  great,  and  of 
almost  primary  importance.  Of  course  the  first  things  to 
be  done  were  to  clear  at  least  a  portion  of  the  site,  and  to 
secure  our  stores,  which  had  in  the  first  instance  to  be  kept 
under  canvas.  We  immediately  fell  to  work  clearing  a  site 
for  the  tents,  but  when,  after  landing  such  goods  belonging 
to  us  as  she  had  been  laden  with,  the  Stanley  left  us  on 
her  homeward  voyage,  no  great  progress  had  been  made. 
Mr.  Walker  returning  with  the  Stanley,  Mr.  Schneider, 
armourer  to  the  expedition,  remained  with  us,  he  having 
acquired  sufficient  knowledge  of  engineering  to  supply  his 
place.  Mr.  Vander  Felson  of  course  had  to  stay  with  his 
ship,  and  Dr.  Wolf  was  in  command. 


THE   LOG-HOUSE. 


After  the  clearing,  our  first  and  most  tedious  work  was 
the  building  of  a  log-house,  doubtless  the  first  of  the  descrip- 
tion, as  I  hope  and  believe  it  will  be  the  last,  erected  in 


66  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

Central  iVfrica.  It  was  built  on  the  recommendation  of 
Dr.  Leslie,  as  a  ready  way  of  storing  our  goods  until  a  perma- 
nent storehouse  should  be  erected ;  and  as,  first  and  last,  it 
occasioned  no  small  waste  of  time  and  labour,  and  was, 
moreover,  in  every  respect  a  failure,  I  propose  giving  a  few 
details  of  its  history  as  a  warning  to  others.  Of  course  we 
had  no  plan  of  the  building :  it  was,  as  are  the  great  majority 
of  European  buildings  in  the  Congo  territory,  built  "  out  of 
our  heads,"  as  we  worked  away,  while,  as  none  of  us  had  any 
idea  of  the  principles  of  construction  upon  which  log-houses 
are  framed,  we  encountered  infinite  trouble  in  fitting  the 
logs  to  each  other,  trouble  that  was  crowned  by  the  collapse, 
or  rather  bursting  asunder,  of  the  edifice  when  it  reached 
the  height  of  the  eaves.  We  had  to  begin  afresh,  and  by 
means  of  securing  the  corner  upright  posts  firmly  to  each 
other  before  filling  in  the  walls  with  logs,  we  contrived  to 
get  the  unsightly  Canadian  nuisance  roofed  in  at  last.  In 
size  it  might  have  measured  about  35  feet  by  18  feet,  with 
a  height  of  12  feet  in  front  and  9  feet  behind.  Into  this 
building  we  removed  our  stores,  arms,  &c.,  on  the  23rd  of 
November,  and  hoped  that  they  were  safe  from  the  weather 
as  well  as  from  thieves.  The  first  rainstorm  undeceived  us  : 
the  roof  being  too  fiat,  admitted  the  water  in  streams.  Dr. 
AVolf  blamed  the  workmanship — I  the  design.  We  agreed 
that  something  must  be  done.  Accordingly  we  covered  the 
roof  to  a  depth  of  some  two  inches  with  puddled  clay,  and  in 
addition  erected  an  outer  roof  of  leaves  and  grass  to  serve  as 
a  kind  of  umbrella.  But  through  the  water  came,  bringing 
the  clay  with  it,  so  that  now  we  were  in  worse  case  than 
before.     At  last,  after  renewed  efforts,  we  rendered  it  some- 


CALEMBA  LEAVES  FOR  HIS  CAPITAL.  67 

what  less  pervious  to  the  weather ;  and  though  snakes, 
scorpions,  and  other  vermin  took  to  it  kindly,  we  contrived 
to  keep  our  stores  in  the  log-house  until,  the  permanent 
magazine  being  completed,  we  were  enabled  to  demolish  it. 

In  the  meantime  I  had  levelled  the  site  and  erected  the 
main  posts  of  the  storehouse,  and  our  Baluba  had  built  two 
temporary  huts — one  for  Mr.  Schneider,  and  the  other  for 
myself.  Dr.  Wolf  occupied  his  tent,  and  Mr.  Vander  Felson 
the  cabin  of  the  Ea  Avant.  By  this  time,  too,  Calemba  and 
the  greater  part  of  his  people  had  gone  home.  He  had 
stayed  with  us  until  after  the  return  of  his  messengers, 
which  occurred  some  ten  days  after  the  departure  of  the 
Stanley,  and  who  brought  with  them  a  number  of  goats  for 
a  present,  as  well  as  Dr.  Wolfs  saddle-oxen.  On  leaving, 
Calemba  had  bidden  Congo  Manena  and  a  number  of  his 
people  to  remain  for  our  present  assistance.  We  found  them 
extremely  useful,  but  they  were  now  to  depart  also,  and  it 
was  arranged  that  they  should  accompany  Dr.  Wolf  on  his 
journey  to  Luluaburg.  After  they  had  all  gone,  I  devoted  my 
attention  to  the  completion  of  the  storehouse  and  of  the 
clearings,  and  I  began  to  drain  and  fence  in  the  station. 

While  these  works  were  in  progress,  I  often  left  them 
in  charge  of  Messrs.  Schneider  and  Vander  Felson  while  I 
made  excursions  into  the  Bakete  country  *  for  purposes  of 
policy  and  exploration.  Sometimes,  too,  I  had  to  cross  the 
Lulua  in  order  to  superintend  our  men  when  cutting  grass 
for  thatching,  as  we  had  no  grass  suitable  and  near  to  us 

*  The  southern  and  lesser  Bakete  country  is  situated  to  the  south-south-east  of  i\vi 
Bashilange,  and  is  tributary  to  INIatjanibo,  I  never  visited  it,  but  I  understand  it  is  nboiit 
200  miles  distant  from  the  Bakete  towns  near  Luebo  station. 


68 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


on  our  side  of  the  river.  Thus  I  came  to  make  thorough 
acquaintance  with  the  Bakete,  their  customs,  state,  and 
language.  Physically  they  are  very  inferior  to  the  Baluba, 
though  the  features  of  both  men  and  women  are  more 
regular  and  refined  than  those  of  any  other  negro  tribe  I 
have  ever  seen. 

The  men  are  somewhat  effeminate.     Of  course  they  will 
not  work — the  African  naturally  expects  the  women  to  do 

that ;  but  what  is  unusual, 
they  will  hunt  and  trap  only 
small  game,  and  will  not  fish 
at  all.  Their  political  condi- 
tion is  significant  of  their  char- 
acter, for  they  are  tributary  to 
the  Bakuba,  with  the  view  of 
obtaining  protection  against 
the  Batua  nomads,  who  are  a 
trouble  to  them,  chiefly  from 
their  own  supineness.  They 
are,  however,  or  at  least  the 
women  are,  excellent  agri- 
culturists, and  their  plantations  are  really  most  beautiful. 
The  gardens  or  fields  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Kasseng^ 
were  altogether  so  delightful,  and  surprised  me  so  greatly 
when  I  first  saw  them,  brilliant  with  the  yellow  blossoms 
of  the  pea  or  ground-nut,  and  adorned  with  a  multitude  of 
tropical  esculents,  that  I  often  alluded  to  the  place  as  the 
"  Garden  of  Eden."  In  their  seasons  I  observed  manioc, 
maize,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  sorghum,  gourds,  okras,  beans, 
peas  (resembling  the  description  I  have  seen  of  the  "  mummy 


A    BAKhTE  GIKL. 


BAKETE  PLANTATIONS. 


69 


pea "  of  Egypt) ;  *  also  an  inferior  kind  of  cabbage,  and 
some  plants— (one  especially  with  lovely  crimson  blossoms)— 
whose  leaves  are  eaten  much  as  spinach ;  also  pine-apples, 
water-melons,  mangangas  (a  kind 
of  yellow  plum),  bananas,  plan- 
tains, and  the  species  of  banyan 
called  "  saffu."  But  what  sur- 
prised and  pleased  me  was  not 
so  much  the  variety  of  plants  as 
their  cultivation  :  they  were  as 
well  grown  as  they  could  be, 
arranged  in  symmetrical  plots 
and  beds,  and  separated  by  wide, 
perfectly  straight  alleys,  weeded, 
swept,  and  maintained  in  the 
greatest  neatness  and  order.  They  grow  no  rice,  although 
their  neighbours  the  Baluba  raise  large  quantities  of  it. 

They   cultivate   tobacco   of   an    extremely  inferior  kind, 


A   BAKfeTE  MAN. 


*  My  attention  has  been  drawn  to  an  article  on  the  "  mummy  pea  "  of  Egypt,  written 
by  an  Irish  clergyman,  and  published  some  years  ago  in  a  popular  magazine.  It  would 
appear  that  a  few  peas  found  in  a  mummy  case  in  one  of  the  more  ancient  Egyptian 
sepulchres  had  been  sown  by  some  horticulturists,  and  had,  despite  their  long  imprison- 
ment, germinated.  The  plants  proved  arborescent  in  habit,  and  bore  crimson  and  white 
blossoms  with  well-filled  pods  :  the  peas  when  cooked  being  pronounced  excellent.  From 
the  entire  dissimilarity  of  these  plants  (or  shrubs,  they  might  be  called)  from  anything  of 
the  kind  now  to  be  found  in  Egypt,  the  writer  of  the  article  in  question  drew  some  infer- 
ences which  we  may  well  set  aside  ;  he  seems  to  have  forgotten  that  his  mummy  peas 
might  possibly  be  identical  with  species  still  to  be  found  throughout  the  interior  of  Equa- 
torial Africa — as  undoubtedly  they  are.  Their  presence  in  the  ancient  mummy  case  in 
Egypt  therefore  argues,  to  my  mind,  an  intercourse  in  the  remotest  ages  between  that 
country  and  Central  Africa  through  the  upper  valley  of  the  Nile — an  intercourse  forgotten 
now  for  an  immense  period,  but  of  which  at  least  one  monument  still  remains  in  the 
existence  of  those  vast  artificial  caves  in  Kavirondo  reported  first  by  Cnmmander  Cameron, 
with  all  due  caution  as  became  the  fabulous,  but  actually  seen  by  jNIr.  Joseph  Tiiomson, 
and  finally  immortalised  in  fiction,  I  presume,  as  the  foundation  in  fact  of  "King  Solomon's 
Mines." 


70  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

which  they  prepare  for  smoking  in  the  following  abomin- 
able manner.  Their  custom  is  to  gather  the  green  leaf,  and, 
without  any  attempt  at  drying  it,  to  pound  it  in  a  mortar. 
When  sufficiently  pounded,  the  tobacco  is  made  up  into 
balls  about  the  size  of  a  man's  fist,  and  is  then  dried  in 
a  kind  of  open-work  tray  hanging  in  the  smoke  above 
the  fire  of  the  hut,  where,  indeed,  they  constantly  keep 
it  until  required  for  use.  As  they  are  not  at  all  par- 
ticular as  to  the  cleanliness  of  the  operation,  the  tobacco 
so  prepared  generally  gains  from  the  mortar,  in  which  palm- 
nuts  have  probably  been  pounded,  as  well  as  from  contact 
with  other  substances,  to  say  nothing  of  the  smoke,  several 
flavours  which  render  its  use  disgusting  to  Europeans. 

Their  preparation  of  wild  yams  is  better  worth  record- 
ing. In  the  belief  that  the  wild  yam,  "kampoto,"  contains  a 
poison  which  can  only  be  expelled  by  a  somewhat  elaborate 
process,  the  Bakete  first  peel  the  tubers  carefully,  and  cutting 
them  into  thin  slices,  boil  them  for  a  considerable  length  of 
time.  The  slices  are  then  removed  from  the  pot  and  tied 
in  a  basket,  which  is  immersed  in  running  water  for  five 
days,  after  which  they  are  considered  fit  for  use.  They 
are  generally  eaten  cold,  but  if  warmed,  they  become  floury 
like  good  European  potatoes,  and  they  cannot  possibly  be 
distinguished  from  them  by  the  palate  if  mashed  in  orthodox 
fashion  w^ith  milk,  butter,  and  pepper. 

Their  preparations  of  cassava  and  of  salt  are  also  peculiar, 
and  merit  some  description.  With  regard  to  the  former 
the  Bakete  have  three  methods,  of  which  the  following 
is  the  most  usual : — The  manioc  roots  being  freed  from 
the  outer  bark,  are  placed  in  open-work  baskets,  and  sunk 


PREPARING  CASSAVA. 


71 


in  a  swiftly  running  stream  for  several  days,  until  the 
cassava  has  become  quite  soft  and  perfectly  white.  When 
removed  from  the  water,  the  roots  are  generally  covered  with 
leeches,  and  emit  a  peculiar  sour  smell,  as  if  fermentation 
had    taken  place.     So  far   the  process  is  uniform  and  uni- 


POUNMNG  CASSAVA. 


versal  throughout  the  Congo  State,  but  what  follows  is, 
I  believe,  peculiar  to  the  13akete  and  Baluba.  The  wet 
roots  are  then  placed  in  an  open-work  tray  hanging  in  the 
smoke  above  the  hut-fire,  and  are  there  kept  until  perfectly 
dry  and  hard,  when  they  are  stored  away  for  use  as  required. 


72  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

Another  method  for  immediate  use  is  precisely  identical 
with  that  described  above  as  used  in  the  preparation  of  wild 
yams,  while  the  third  process  is  as  follows  : — The  manioc 
roots  being  freed  from  the  bark,  are  rasped  down  into  a 
kind  of  coarse  flour,  which  is  then  dried  upon  heated  stones. 
The  cassava  thus  obtained  closely  resembles  sawdust  in 
appearance,  and  is  stored  away  in  bags  until  required. 
This  form  of  preparation  has  been,  by-the-bye,  adopted  by 
the  Portuguese  on  the  coast,  and  the  cassava  thus  prepared 
goes  by  the  name  of  farinlia  cle  manioc ;  but  it  is  not  used 
by  them  in  the  same  manner  as  by  the  natives,  who  make 
it  into  a  kind  of  porridge.  Salt  is  thus  procured  : — A  kind 
of  floating  grass,  Chissengenene,  to  be  obtained  in  lagoons 
and  near  the  edge  of  very  slowly  flowing  rivers,  is  collected, 
and  being  dried  and  burned  to  ashes,  the  lye  thus  obtained 
is  mingled  with  the  ashes  of  a  leaf  resembling  that  of  the 
marsh-mallow  :  these  are  then  mixed  with  water  and  set  on 
to  boil,  the  mixture  being  constantly  stirred  and  skimmed 
until  the  water  has  been  gradually  evaporated.  The  sedi- 
ment remaining  is  a  grey-coloured  salt,  which  amongst  the 
Bakete  and  Bakuba  is  packed  dry  into  large  sausage-shaped 
cases  made  of  leaves,  while  with  the  Baluba  it  is  made  up 
^vet  into  conical  cakes  and  subsequently  dried  in  the  smoke. 
The  salt  thus  obtained  has  a  disagreeable  acrid  taste. 

The  cooking  utensils  of  the  Bakete  are  peculiar  to  them- 
selves. The  generality  of  native  Congo  pottery  is  thin,  not 
exceeding  quarter  inch  in  thickness ;  but  the  Bakete  make 
their  large  cooking-pots  fully  half  an  inch  thick,  deep  also, 
and  with  flat  bottoms,  whereas  those  of  other  tribes  are 
rounded  underneath. 


DOMESTIC  ANIMALS.  73 

Their  other  domestic  arts  are  not  in  any  way  remarkable, 
but  their  villages  are  neatly  built  and  well  kept.  Of  canoes 
they  have  none,  at  least,  of  their  own  manufacture,  and  as  a 
rule  they  eschew  piscatory  arts  and  all  employments  which 
would  necessitate  their  entering  the  water.  Such  fish  as 
they  require  either  for  use  or  barter  they  purchase  from 
the  Bakuba  or  Baluba  fishermen. 

As  for  domestic  animals,  they  keep  only  goats,  sheep, 
and  dogs  ;  the  last  named  being  used  for  hunting,  and  as 
good  a  breed  as  I  have  seen  anywhere  in  Africa.  The 
Bakete  keep,  however,  neither  pigs  nor  oxen.  Against 
the  former  they  have  a  strong  prejudice ;  the  latter  would 
be  unlikely  to  thrive  in  their  country,  though  they  some- 
times buy  oxen  in  order  to  slaughter  them  for  food.  Cats 
are  unknown  :  as  a  consequence  house-mice  swarm.  The 
Bakete  rear  large  numbers  of  fowls  and  ducks,  both  for  their 
own  consumption  and  for  barter,  but  neither  geese  nor 
turkeys,  which  are  a  species  of  fowl  unknown  to  the  natives 
of  Central  Africa.  Upon  the  whole,  I  found  that  we  had 
every  reason  to  congratulate  ourselves  at  Luebo  on  our 
proximity  to  these  people,  whom  I  was  able  to  employ  in 
a  variety  of  ways,  and  to  trust  as  it  would  have  been 
dangerous  to  trust  few  indeed  of  the  native  tribes.  They 
were  in  every  sense  excellent  neighbours  and  kind  friends, 
and  well-wishers  to  the  European  State. 

To  return  to  our  building  operations  in  the  new  station, 
it  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to  record  the  progress  we  had  made 
by  Christmas-tide.  The  new  magazine  being  constructed 
upon  those  principles  of  building  adapted  to  the  country, 
and  usually  pursued  in  it,  and  having  taken  the  trouble  to 


74  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

draw  proper  plans  and  to  make  working  drawings  before 
beginning  to  build,  we  had  little  or  no  hindrance  to  our 
progress,  and  by  Christmas-day  had  the  satisfaction  of  dining 
in  the  nearly  finished  storehouse.  It  measured  60  feet 
in  length  by  28  feet  in  width,  with  side  walls  about  14 
feet  in  height,  and  had  a  steep  widely  overhanging  roof  of 
thatch  rising  to  a  ridge  about  36  feet  above  the  ground, 
supported  by  a  row  of  central  poles.  The  ends  of  the 
building  were  gabled  and  pierced  with  four  narrow  slits, 
two  above  the  level  of  the  eaves  and  two  below.  On  the 
sides  there  was  in  front  a  central  door  with  a  good-sized 
window  on  either  hand  ;  behind  there  were  two  windows  : 
the  windows  being  all  protected  with  stout  vertical  bars  of 
wood.  The  materials  employed  for  the  walls  were  wood 
and  clay.  Solid  upright  posts  were  placed  closely  together 
and  united  by  cross-pieces  nailed  horizontally,  and  by  the 
wall-plate  upon  which  the  rafters  rested.  These  posts  were 
covered  to  a  depth  of  four  inches  on  both  sides  with  well- 
worked  clay,  laid  on  in  two  coats,  and  in  the  interior 
finished  with  a  thin  wash  of  the  same,  its  delicate  pink 
colour  having  a  warm  and  comfortable  look.  Externally 
the  walls  were  rough-cast  (or  "harled,"  as  they  call  it  in 
Scotland)  with  a  mixture  of  clay  and  coarse  sand,  and  white- 
washed.* The  floor  of  the  building  (about  two  feet  higher 
than  the  ground  outside)  consisted  of  well-beaten  clay.  It 
was  a  thoroughly  solid,  substantial,  and  sightly  building, 
never  giving  us  any  trouble  :  useful  not  only  for  its  primary 
purpose   as   a   storehouse,  but  available  for  many  an  emer- 

*  For  this  purpose  a  kind  of  pipeclay  found  in  small  quantities  on  the  Bakete  side  of 
the  Lulua  was  used. 


CHRISTMAS  FESTIVITIES.  75 

gency.  Our  clearings  had  progressed  also.  All  the  jungle 
along  the  bank  of  the  Luebo  throughout  the  whole  length 
of  the  station  and  for  150  yards  beyond  had  vanished;  the 
lagoon  was  altogether  denuded  of  its  surrounding  bush ; 
while  on  the  side  of  the  Lulua,  from  the  old  road  down  to  the 
river  for  about  200  yards,  the  wood  had  been  cleared  away. 
Thus  we  were  circumstanced  when  Christmas  came  to  us  in 
our  isolation ;  but  though  all  surrounding  nature  conspired 
to  banish  the  wonted  associations  of  the  festival,  we  con- 
trived to  remember  it,  and  to  celebrate  it,  at  least  after  a 
fashion.  The  workpeople  all  received  a  holiday,  extra 
rations,  and  some  presents,  and  in  the  evening  they  had  a 
dance,  which  was  attended  by  our  Bakete  neighbours,  in- 
cluding, of  course,  several  of  the  fair  sex.  I  must,  I  fear,  in 
characterising  the  performance,  employ  a  phrase  of  Mungo 
Park's,  applied  by  him  to  the  dances  in  vogue  some  eighty 
years  ago  in  another  part  of  Africa :  "  The  gestures  were 
more  voluptuous  than  elegant."  Fortunately  for  our  mess,  I 
had  not  only  a  little  store  of  champagne  and  other  European 
wines,  so  that  we  could  duly  toast  our  absent  friends,  but  in 
the  morning  we  had  received  a  very  acceptable  present  of 
elephant-beef  from  a  Chiplumba-Baluba  chief,  Kappasiero, 
who  had  been  out  hunting  in  our  neighbourhood.  We  were 
unfortunate  in  the  matter  of  plum-pudding ;  perhaps  not 
altogether  so  unfortunate  as  the  legendary  English  gover- 
ness, who  supplied  her  French  Principal  with  a  recipe 
from  which  all  mention  of  the  essential  cloth  in  which  the 
pudding  must  be  boiled  was  omitted,  and,  in  consequence, 
witnessed  the  service  of  a  nauseous  mess  in  a  soup-tureen 
as  "  blum  boudin  ;  "  yet  we  were  distinctly  unfortunate,  for 


76  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

though  we  had  most  of  the  ingredients,  and  did  not  forget 
the  cloth,  yet  somehow  our  recipe  was  at  fault,  and  the  result 
was  an  unwholesome  soupy  affair,  chiefly  consumed  by  the 
cook.  We  spent,  nevertheless,  upon  the  whole,  a  very  plea- 
sant evening  inaugurating  the  new  storehouse  by  our  Christ- 
mas-dinner, and  afterwards  witnessing  the  grotesque  dances 
of  the  natives  in  the  station  clearing,  a  large  bonfire  supply- 
ing the  revellers  with  quite  as  much  light  as  was  desirable. 

Our  Christmas  festivity  over,  we  settled  down  again  into 
our  usual  routine  uninterruptedly  for  a  few  days.  The 
daily  life  of  a  station  might  be  monotonous  if  the  duties  of 
one's  office  did  not  so  entirely  engross  all  one's  thoughts  and 
energies.  At  Luebo  our  time  and  work  were  apportioned 
as  follows: — 5,30  a.m.,  reveille;  6  a.m.,  roll-call,  when  all 
the  people  employed  on  the  station  must  be  present,  and 
when  the  day's  tasks  are  allotted,  tools  issued,  and  working 
parties  told  off.  At  6.45  a.m.,  Zanzibari  drill  until  8  a.m., 
when  we  relieved  guard  and  hoisted  flag.  The  men  who 
had  been  on  guard  then  went  off  duty  for  twenty-four 
hours,  being,  however,  detailed  for  station  cleaning,  &c., 
in  the  afternoon.  I  may  here  remark  that  of  the  guard, 
consisting  of  six  men,  four  were  always  off  sentry  duty, 
but  found  occupation  in  cleaning  arms  in  the  guard-house. 
After  going  round  the  station,  and  attending  to  my  books 
and  reports,  I  breakfasted  at  10.30  a.m.  At  12  noon  the 
bugle-call  went  for  the  men's  dinner,  for  which  two  hours 
were  allowed.  At  2  p.m.  the  men  were  mustered  again, 
and  any  necessary  re-allotment  of  tasks  was  then  made. 
From  2  P.M.  until  4  p.m.  I  gave  daily  audience  to  all  chiefs 
and  others  who  wished  to  see  me.      It  may  be  asked,  since 


WORK-DAYS  AND  HOLIDAYS.  tj 

many  of  these  persons  came  considerable  distances,  what 
form,  in  the  way  of  refreshments,  my  official  hospitality 
assumed.  The  answer  is  a  simple  one.  My  guests  invari- 
ably brought  with  them  gourds  of  palm-wine  as  a  present 
to  me  :  these  I  graciously  permitted  them  to  consume  at 
once,  and  upon  the  premises.  At  4  p.m.  I  went  the  rounds, 
inspecting  what  had  been  done  or  not  done.  This  inspec- 
tion I  generally  contrived  to  get  through  by  5.30  p.m. 
At  5.45  retreat  bugle  sounded,  when  all  tools  issued  in 
the  morning  were  taken  in  and  counted.  Work  was  com- 
pletely ended  by  6  p.m.,  when  all  natives  and  strangers 
had  to  leave  the  station,  unless  invited  there  or  detained 
by  special  command.  At  6.30  p.m.  I  dined.  At  8.30  p.m. 
first  post  of  tattoo  sounded,  and  at  9  p.m.  last  post. 
At  9.30  bugle  sounded  lights  out.  My  personal  arrange- 
ments and  hours  I  need  not  detail,  but  some  further 
general  items  may  be  interesting.  Guard  was  turned  out 
and  inspected  at  8  a.m.,  mid-day,  retreat,  and  last  post. 
On  Sundays  no  working  parties  were  detailed,  and  the 
men  generally  went  to  Kasseng^  or  elsewhere  to  make 
such  purchases  as  they  chose  ;  and  on  Saturdays  from  2  p.m. 
the  men  had  their  time  to  themselves,  and  the  rations  were 
paid  in  cowries.  Monthly  on  the  day  of  the  new  moon  the 
Zanzibaris  were  permitted  to  hold  their  saturnalia,  but  I  put 
a  stop  to  the  usual  gun-firing,  and  I  persistently  declined  to 
give  them  the  customary  sacrificial  goat,  though  I  never 
refused  to  sell  them  one  at  a  sufficient  price.  Courts-mar- 
tial I  always  held  on  Sundays,  and  kept  prisoners — when  un- 
happily there  were  any — for  trial  then,  as  I  had  more  time 
to  attend  to  their  accusations  on  that  day  than  on  others. 


78  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

I  have  made  mention  of  Sunday.  It  is  a  day  of  the  week, 
of  course,  in  Africa  as  it  is  in  Europe,  and  we  observed  it  as  a 
holiday — I  wish  I  could  say  that  we  observed  it  as  a  holy  day, 
but  I  cannot.  Of  a  certain  African  town,*  where  there  is  a 
civilised  and  nominally  Christian  population,  to  say  nothing 
of  a  strong  European  element,  the  most  exact  and  unim- 
peachably  accurate  of  African  travellers  t  says  : — "  In  a  central 
position  in  the  town  is  a  tastefully  arranged  public  garden, 
ivhere  a  hcmd  2)G^forms  on  Sunday  evenings.  The  only 
public  buildings  are  a  well-constructed  custom-house,  a  very 
good  hospital,  the  house  of  the  governor,  a  courthouse,  and 
a  church,  ivhich  is  7iever  opened  except  for  haptisms  and 
burials.'"  If  such  be  the  outward  state  of  religion  in  those 
places  where  there  are  churches  and  clergy,  we  of  the  laity, 
located  where  there  are  no  churches,  and  in  wilds  that  the 
clergy  of  no  Christian  denomination  whatsoever  think  it 
worth  their  while  to  visit,  may,  I  trust,  be  pardoned  if  we 
do  not  succeed  in  making  a  fairer  show  in  the  matter  of 
observances. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  in  the  afternoon.  Dr.  Wolf 
suddenly  returned  from  Luluaburg.  lie  came  to  us  expressly 
at  this  time  in  order  that  we  might  begin  the  new  year 
together  amid  good-fellowship  and  mutual  congratulations. 
This  was  extremely  kind  of  him  :  an  instance  of  that  thought- 
ful encouragement  of  his  fellow-workers  of  which  numerous 
proofs  were  never  wanting.  He  brought  us  some  additional 
stores — luxuries,  I  might  call  them — but  his  purpose  in 
visiting  Luebo  was  to  embark  on  board  the  En.  Avant  for 
an   exploration   of  the   Sankoro   above    its   confluence   with 

*  Benguela.  +  Caiiierou. 


A  FATAL  ACCIDENT. 


79 


the  Kasai.  He  lost  no  time,  therefore,  in  departing  down 
the  river,  bidding  us  farewell  on  the  4th  of  January  1886, 
both  Messrs.  Schneider  and  Vander  Felson  accompanying 
him.  Thus,  after  Dr.  Wolf's  departure,  I  was  alone,  but 
I  found  full  employment  in  further  building  operations,  as 
well  as  in  the  ordinary  routine  of  administration.  He  had 
expressed  himself  more  than  satisfied  Avith  the  progress  that 
had  been  made,  and  I  was  anxious  still  more  to  surprise  him 
when  he  should  return. 

One  tragic  event  occurred  some  two  months  after  Dr. 
Wolf  had  left  us,  which  varied,  in  an  awful  way  indeed,  our 
quiet  station  life.  A  number 
of  young  women  belonging  to 
the  station  were  in  the  habit 
of  bathing  at  the  point  where 
the  Lulua  and  Luebo  join. 
This  I  had  forbidden,  as  the 
river  abounds  with  alligators, 
and  had  even  been  at  the 
pains  to  sketch  one  of  the 
girls  pursued  by  an  alligator, 
in  order  to  assist  my  imper- 
fect Siketi  in  personally  de- 
horting  the  delinquents  from 
their  dangerous  amusement.  One  day,  however,  in  March, 
in  spite  of  all  I  could  say  or  do,  some  of  these  girls  were 
disporting  themselves  in  the  water.  I  being  informed  of 
this  little  rebellion,  went  in  their  direction  to  order  them 
ashore.  All  came  out  except  Kafinga — the  very  girl  whose  por- 
trait I  had  sketched — a  bright,  cheerful  creature.     She  was 


KAFINGA— A  PORTRAIT. 


8o  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

the  farthest  out  from  shore,  and  was  laughingly  maintain- 
ing her  liberty,  when,  in  an  instant,  uttering  a  piercing 
shriek,  she  disappeared  beneath  the  water.  Momentarily 
forgetful  of  the  alligators,  I  sprang  after  the  hapless  girl, 
but  in  vain :  indeed,  I  had  drifted  some  distance  down 
the  stream,  and  was  in  no  small  danger  myself,  when  I  was 
picked  up  by  some  of  my  Zanzibaris,  who  had  instantly 
put  off  in  a  canoe  to  my  rescue.  Afterwards  the  natives 
remembered  the  strange  coincidence  of  the  portrait,  and 
considered  the  tragedy  as  a  piece  of  witchcraft,  in  which 
I  had  played  a  leading,  but  not  altogether  enviable,  part. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Portuguese  traders — Senhores  Saturnino,  Carvalho,  y  Custodio — Their  history  and  trade 
• — Custodio's  advice  to  Dr.  Pogge — Carvalho's  letter — The  partner's  application  at 
Luebo — Saturnino  and  the  Zingas — Tlie  dispute  ari-anged — Zingas  and  their  country 
— Progress  of  the  station  buildings — The  Krupp  howitzer — Dr.  Wolf's  return  and 
the  results  of  his  voyage — An  agreeable  (?)  surprise. 


During  Dr.  Wolf's  absence,  a  Portuguese,  Senlior  Saturnino 
da  Souza-Macliado,  had  come  into  the  station  from  Kapuku 
on  the  Muansangoma,  where  he  with  a  partner  had  been  re- 
siding some  time  for  purposes  of  trade.  lie  came  in  answer 
to  a  reply  which  I  had  made  to  a  business  inquiry  addressed 
to  me  by  his  partner,  Senhor  Carvalho,  whose  personal 
acquaintance  1  subsequently  made.     As    Senhor  Carvalho's 


82  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


history  is  far  from  uninteresting  in  itself,  and  his  trade 
ventures  and  adventures  both  typical  of  what  is,  and  has 
been,  going  on  in  the  way  of  business  in  Central  Africa,  and 
also  in  many  ways  instructive,  I  shall  make  a  digression  in 
order  to  acquaint  my  readers  with  them. 

Born  in  Portugal,  in  the  province  of  Las  Minas,  of 
humble  parentage,  Senhor  Antonio  Lopes  de  Carvalho  emi- 
grated to  the  Brazils  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  or  assistant 
to  his  uncle,  who  was  engaged  in  business  there  as  a  coffee- 
planter  and  general  merchant,  xifter  some  years  spent  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  8enhor  Carvalho  was 
induced  to  go  to  Benguela,  on  the  south-west  coast  of 
Africa,  in  the  same  office  as  he  had  held  under  his  uncle. 
Not  meeting  with  much  success  as  an  agent  for  others, 
and  seeing,  at  the  expiry  of  years,  but  small  prospect  of 
advancement  from  his  subordinate  position,  he  determined 
to  start  business  on  his  own  account.  Li  this  undertaking 
he  was  assisted  by  a  legacy  from  some  relative,  wherewith 
purchasing,  partly  on  credit,  a  stock  of  cotton  cloth,  salt, 
brass  rods,  beads,  and  other  small  articles  of  barter,  and 
taking  with  him  a  sufficient  number  of  porters  lent  by  his 
old  employer,  Senhor  Custodio  da  Souza-Machado,  from 
whom  he  had  obtained  his  stock,  Senhor  Carvalho  started 
for  the  interior.  He  met  with  Matjambo  (the  Mata  Yafa, 
by-the-bye,  of  Lieut.  Cameron)  on  passing  through  the 
Bailanda  territory,  and  experienced  not  only  fair,  but  even 
kind  treatment  from  that  chief.  Senhor  Carvalho,  however, 
believing  that  Matjambo  wished  to  overreach,  and  use 
him  for  his  own  purposes,  refused  the  chief's  solicitations 
that  he  would  stay  with   him,  and  allow  the  Bailunda  to 


A   TRADER'S  VICISSITUDES.  83 

negotiate  the  exchange  of  his  merchandise  for  ivory. 
Accordingly  he  left  Matjambo,  and  turning  more  towards 
the  north,  passed  close  to  Kassembe  :  thence  he  journeyed 
towards  Lake  Moero,  where  he  had  heard  there  was 
abundance  of  ivory.  On  this  portion  of  his  journey  he 
spent  some  time,  living  much  as  a  native,  and  encoun- 
tering many  adventures,  in  one  of  which  he  came  across 
Dr.  Livingstone.  He  procured  as  much  ivory  as  he  de- 
sired, but  without  having  to  go  so  far  as  the  lake,  and 
started  on  his  return.  Before  reaching  Ulundu,  however, 
he  was  attacked  by  marauders,  robbed  of  all  his  ivory,  and 
left  practically  destitute.  He  then  fled  to  his  friend  Mat- 
jambo, who  received  him  in  all  kindness  and  hospitality, 
and  willingly  undertook  to  maintain  him  while  striving 
to  recover  his  stolen  property.  Failing  success  after  some 
months  spent  in  the  attempt,  Matjambo  generously  supplied 
his  guest  with  means  to  return  to  Malange,  Avhither  he 
accordingly  departed.  He  arrived  in  safety,  but  destitute, 
and  even  considerably  in  debt  to  Senhor  Custodio,  whose  ser- 
vice he  now  re-entered.  Some  time  after  Senhor  Carvalho's 
return,  the  German  expedition  under  Dr.  Pogge  and  Lieut. 
Wissmann  arrived  at  Malange  from  Europe.  Those  gentle- 
men intended  to  cross  the  continent,  traversing  the  Lake 
Moero  district,  and  exploring  as  far  as  possible  the  waters 
of  the  Kasai  and  Sankoro,  the  existence  of  which  Living- 
stone had  reported.  They  were  induced,  however,  by  the 
representations  partly  of  Senhor  Custodio,  to  modify  their 
proposed  line  of  march,  and  eventually  they,  or  at  least 
Lieut.  Wissmann,  crossed  the  continent  considerably  to  the 
north  of  Lake  Moero,   Dr.  Pogge   returning  sick   from   the 


84  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

Baluba  country  to  Malange  en  route  for  Loanda,  where  he 
died.  In  the  meantime,  Senhor  Saturnino,  a  half-brother  of 
Senhor  Custodio's,  entering  into  partnership  with  Senhor 
Carvalho,  determined  to  set  off  in  the  wake  of  the  expedi- 
tion, and,  by  availing  himself  of  it  as  a  pioneer-guard,  to 
introduce  a  considerable  quantity  of  merchandise  into  the 
Baluba  country,  whose  resources  had  been  magnified  at 
Malange  by  the  Matchioko,  and  thus  to  establish  a  perma- 
nent trading  station  in  the  interior  by  seizing  upon  the 
advantage  of  being  the  first  to  enter  the  newly  opened 
country.  They  accordingly  departed,  taking  wdth  them  a 
large  stock  of  goods,  representing  an  outlay  of  several  thou- 
sand pounds  sterling.  Crossing  the  Upper  Luangi,  they 
separated,  Senhor  Carvalho  following  that  river  for  a  short 
distance,  and  striking  into  the  Tucongo  country,  a  land 
unknown  to  us  save  as  the  abode  of  ferocious  tribes,  while 
Senhor  Saturnino  proceeded  on  his  way  towards  the  Baluba. 
Senhor  Carvalho  lost  much  from  the  hostility  of  the  natives, 
and  met  with  many  reverses,  but  being  able  nevertheless 
to  hold  on  his  course,  he  at  length  came  to  the  Kasai, 
crossing  which  stream,  and  entering  the  Bashilange-Baluba 
country,  he  there  rejoined  Senhor  Saturnino.  They  proceeded 
to  establish  themselves  on  the  Muansangoma,  where  they 
built  a  store  and  dwelling-house  combined,  and  continued 
to  transact  business  with  the  natives  with  varying  success. 
This  trade,  an  unostentatious  species  of  slave-dealing,  I  will 
explain.  Their  modus  operandi  was  as  follows.  Finding 
it  impossible  to  obtain  ivory  from  the  Bakuba  or  Bakete 
without  exchanging  slaves,  they  purchased  from  the  Baluba 
slaves  of  that  or  kindred  races  in  exchange  for  cloth,  which 


SLAVE-DEALING.  85 


was  valueless  to  the  Bakuba,  whose  requirements  their  own 
excellent  native  manufacture  more  than  sufficed.  The  price 
of  a  slave  would  be  six  yards  or  under  of  the  cotton  cloth  or 
calicot  used  in  West  African  commerce,  an  utterly  worthless 
fabric,  value  in  England  less  than  one  penny  per  yard.  The 
slaves  so  obtained  were  passed  on  to  the  Bakuba  or  Bakete, 
together  with  other  goods,  in  exchange  for  ivory.  As 
a  sample  of  the  value  given  and  received,  I  submit  the 
following  statement  from  original  and  authentic  memoranda 
in  my  possession.  In  return  for  one  slightly  damaged  "  point 
of  ivory"  [apunta  avariada  custou  0'  seguinte)  Senhor 
Carvalho  gave — 

Duas  nymphas  .....  Two  young  girls. 

Cinqua  cruzetas  de  cobra    .         .         .  Five  crosses  of  copper. 

Cinqua  mil  buzio        ....  5000  cowries. 

Duas  centos- bagos  d'almandrilha  .  200  twisted  Venetian  beads. 

The  special  iniquity  of  this  trade  lies  in  the  fact  that  slaves 
purchased  by  the  Bakuba  and  some  similar  tribes  are  upon 
occasions  devoted  to  death  as  human  sacrifices  by  their 
owners.  This  traffic  continued  until  Senhores  Saturnino  y 
Carvalho  had  gained  possession  of  all  the  available  ivory  in 
that  part  of  the  country.  They  then  heard  that  there  was  an 
abundance  of  ivory  still  procurable  in  the  country  frequented 
by  the  Batua  Bankonko,  whither  they  therefore  temporarily 
removed.  There,  for  a  time,  their  business  prospered ;  but 
having  quarrelled  with  the  natives  for  some  cause  unex- 
plained to  me,  their  encampment  was  suddenly  attacked  in 
the  early  morning,  about  thirty  of  their  followers  were  slain, 
and  they  had  to  make  a  sudden  retreat  to  Kapuku  vid 
Kabao,  where  they  eventually  arrived  in  a  somewhat  impo- 


86  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

verished  and  dilapidated  condition.  Senhor  Carvalho  thus 
describes  in  a  letter  to  me  the  latter  portion  of  their  re- 
turn journey,  in  which  they  endeavoured  to  retrieve,  or  at 
least  mitigate,  their  losses  by  doing  a  little  business  on  the 
road  : — 

"From  Kabao  eight  days  brought  us  to  the  northern  fron- 
tier of  the  Bashilange  territory,  where  we  entered  that  of 
the  Babinji,  which  we  crossed  in  three  days,  arriving  at  the 
Lubuije,  one  of  the  largest  affluents  of  the  Lubudi.  After  we 
had  crossed  the  former  river  we  began  to  notice  that  the 
aborigines  were  far  from  well  disposed :  they  robbed  us  of 
various  articles,  including  a  bag  of  cowries,  matchets,  &c. 
Unfortunately  not  one  of  our  carriers  or  slaves  had  his  gun 
loaded,  so  we  were  unable  to  give  the  thieves  a  lesson  before 
they  hid  themselves  in  the  thick  jungle.  For  this  we  had  to 
thank  Saturnino's  economia,  which  forbade  his  giving  as  much 
as  a  single  cartridge  to  a  servant.  Immediately  on  pitching 
camp,  however,  I  served  out  five  cartridges  to  each  rifle,  yet 
to  obtain  this  trivial  armament  I  had  to  go  through  quite 
an  altercation  with  Saturnino,  for  he  had  not  yet  profited 
by  our  recent  experiences.  It  was  now  necessary  to  move 
forward  in  regular  order  of  march,  on  which  account  one 
of  us  conducted  the  vanguard,  the  other  the  rear,  between 
which  the  whole  caravan  marched  close  together.  Saturnino 
remaining  a  short  time  after  we  left  camp,  was  mobbed  and 
instantly  deprived  of  his  cap.  He  carried  his  rifle  indeed, 
but  owing  to  his  mean  carefulness  it  was  enclosed  in  its  case, 
and  he  had  therefore  just  to  put  up  with  the  insult.  The 
natives  became  more  and  more  hostile,  and  being  armed  to 
the  teeth,  constantly  alarmed  us  by  appearing  suddenly  in 


CARVALHO'S  LETTER.  87 

our  midst,  and,  with  the  fieetness  of  deer,  as  quickly  disap- 
pearing in  the  enclosing  bush.     I   cannot  understand  any- 
thing more  disagreeable,  as  indeed  it  is  impossible  to  ima- 
gine anything  more   dangerous,  than  the  march  through  a 
hostile  country  along  a  winding  jungle-path,  in  which  the 
view  does  not  extend  beyond  a  dozen  paces.      At  3  p.m.  we 
encamped  in  a  small   clearing  in  unfortunate   proximity  to 
some   predatory  villages,   whose   inhabitants  were  yet   more 
audaciously  thievish  than  the  people  who  had  harassed  us 
on  the  march.     Here  the  thefts  were  of  momentary  occur- 
rence :   one    would    carry   off  a    knife,   another   a  jug   from 
before   our  very   eyes,   and   another    some    other  article,   so 
that  we  were  greatly  embarrassed.      By  5  p.m.  the  natives 
thronged  on  all  sides  and  blocked  the  road,  but  happily  the 
night  passed  without  any  noteworthy  circumstance  occurring. 
Next  day  some  natives  brought  in   ivory  tusks  which  they 
desired   to    sell,  but    so    exorbitant  were    their  demands    as 
to  price,  that  not  all  our  merchandise  would  have  sufficed 
to  effect    a    purchase.      From    this   spot,   however,   we  were 
strangely  enough  permitted    to    depart,  and   to  journey  for 
three  days  without  molestation.     On  arriving  at  Lakombi,  a 
very  populous  place,  we  encountered  renewed  hostility  from 
the  natives,  for  here,  as  the  saying  is,  they  '  cut  our  beard 
for  us '  [fazemos  nossa  harha),  and   we   had   to  turn  back. 
On  the  morning  after  our  arrival,  the  savages,  fully  a  thou- 
sand  strong,   attacked   us,   and   we  were   obliged  to   defend 
ourselves ;  but  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  during  which 
the  fight  lasted,  we  had  four  men  killed  and  many  wounded. 
We  immediately  began  our  retreat,  and  camped  for  the  first 
night  in  a  small  open  plain.     Continuing  our  journey  home- 


88  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

wards,  we  were  attacked  on  the  third  day  from  Lakombi  by 
a  new  foe  in  the  shape  of  small-pox.  This  sickness  caused 
many  of  our  loads  to  be  abandoned,  and  we  arrived  on  the 
Muansangoma  having  sustained  a  loss  of  about  a  thousand 
milreis." 

As  these  merchants  had  luckily  left  an  ample  reserve 
of  goods  at  their  permanent  trading  station  at  Kapuku, 
their  losses  were  limited  to  the  stock  they  had  taken 
into  the  Batua  Bankonko  country,  and  they  w^ere  conse- 
quently enabled  to  continue  their  trade,  Senhor  Carvalho 
going  for  a  time  to  the  southward,  where  he  was  not  un- 
prosperous.  The  difficulty  which  now  beset  the  partners  was 
how  to  get  their  ivory  down  to  the  coast  in  safety.  Being 
acquainted  with  the  establishment  of  the  station  at  Luebo, 
Senhor  Carvalho  wrote  to  me  inquiring  whether  we  could  or 
would  facilitate  the  transmission  of  his  ivory  to  the  coast  by 
water-carriage  via  Leopold ville.  To  him  I  replied  that  w^e 
could  assume  no  responsibility  as  to  the  goods,  but  that  we 
certainly  would  send  them  as  desired  if  delivered  to  us  at 
Luebo. 

It  was  in  answer  to  this  communication  that  Senhor 
Satumino  came  into  the  station,  arriving  on  the  day  follow- 
ing that  on  which  poor  Kafinga  had  met  her  awful  death  ; 
and  I  shall  never  forget  his  coming,  for  not  only  was  I 
depressed  by  the  most  lively  recollections  of  that  dreadful 
occurrence,  but  the  wetting  I  had  undergone  resulted  in  a 
night  of  fever  and  ague  which  had  so  prostrated  me  that  I 
was  disinclined  for  business  of  any  kind.  In  addition  to  the 
matter  about  which  he  had  come,  Senhor  Satumino  had  a  com- 
plaint to  prefer  against  the  people  of  a  Bakete  village,  whom 


ZING  A   CARRIERS.  89 


he  represented  as  having  threatened  to  rob  him — in  fact,  had 
I  not  acted  most  strictly  npon  Dr.  Wolfs  general  instruc- 
tions, I  should  have  committed  a  serious  blunder,  and  greatly 
injured  those  very  interests  which  the  Free  State  exists  to 
promote,  for  I  afterwards  discovered  that  Senhor  Saturnino's 
complaint  was  little  better  than  a  malicious  fabrication. 
Being  in  need  of  cloth  for  the  pay,  and  cowries  for  the 
rations  of  my  Zanzibaris,  I  availed  myself  of  Senhor  Saturnino's 
visit  to  purchase  a  small  supply  of  those  articles  from  him, 
of  course  at  extravagant  prices.  He  started  on  his  return 
journey  the  same  day  as  he  arrived,  being,  or  professing  to 
be,  in  a  state  of  nervous  apprehension  as  to  the  attitude  of 
the  Bakete,  and  I  gave  him  such  protection  as  I  deemed  fit, 
that  is  to  say,  an  escort  of  six  Zanzibaris  with  a  corporal. 
On  their  return  journey  they  convoyed  a  number  of  Senhor 
Saturnino's  Zingas  bearing  the  goods  I  had  purchased  from 
him.  These  poor  fellows,  seeing  the  happier  life  our  people 
led,  absolutely  refused  to  return  to  their  master,  and  insisted 
on  volunteering  for  service  under  the  State.  On  hearing  of 
this,  their  compaitriots  still  in  Senhor  Saturnino's  service  forth- 
with, for  the  most  part,  forsook  him,  and  came  to  me,  so  that, 
as  I  enlisted  them  readily  enough,  my  force  was  raised  to  about 
one  hundred  men.  These  proceedings,  which  I  at  once  notified 
to  Senhor  Saturnino,  brought  us  into  renewed  communication, 
and  eventually  his  partner,  Senhor  Carvalho,  came  to  Lucl)o  in 
no  very  amiable  frame  of  mind.  He  represented  that  not 
only  were  the  enlisted  Zingas  indebted  to  him  for  thefts  of 
his  goods  committed  at  various  times,  but  that  they  were 
bound  by  a  contract,  concluded  at  Malange  in  due  form 
before   the   Commandant  of  that  place,  in  virtue   of  which 


90  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

they  must  remain  in  his  service  for  an  indefinite  period  at  a 
stipulated  remuneration,  not  to  be  paid  until  their  return  to 
Angola,  and  for  rations  which  were  to  be  supplied  to  them 
from  time  to  time,  and  he  produced  papers  in  support  of 
his  contention.  What  he  did  not  state  was  that  the  head 
chief  of  these  men  had  practically  sold  them  to  Senhor 
Saturnino,  for  he  had  agreed  that  none  of  his  people  taking 
service  under  the  partners  should  return  to  their  homes 
unless  accompanied  by  one  or  other  of  their  masters,  or 
unless  bringing  proof  of  their  decease,  and  that  should  any 
of  the  Zingas  return  otherwise,  they  were  to  be  most  severely 
punished — practically  put  to  death.  On  the  other  hand,  I 
explained  to  Senhor  Carvalho,  and  demonstrated  by  docu- 
mentary evidence,  that  the  laws  of  the  Congo  State  did 
not  recognise  as  binding  contracts  made  by  "third  parties," 
because  people,  to  be  personally  and  individually  bound  by 
a  contract,  must  personally  and  individually  consent  to  the 
same,  and  to  that  end  must  understand  and  be  in  every  way 
cognisant  of  the  whole  conditions  of  the  contract.  I  then 
caused  the  men  to  be  interrogated  upon  the  subject,  and 
found  that  they  had  most  certainly  not  committed  themselves 
to  the  contract,  and  that  being  all  free  men,  and  not  slaves 
(some  of  them  were  petty  chiefs),  their  head  chief  had  acted 
ultra  vires  in  contracting  for  them.  At  the  same  time  I 
examined  into  the  alleged  thefts,  some  of  which  the  Zingas 
acknowledged.  Accordingly  I  informed  Senhor  Saturnino 
that  excepting  a  few  individuals  whom  he  had  expressly 
asked  me  not  to  engage,  and  whom  I  referred  back  to  him, 
I  was  prepared  to  retain  the  enlisted  Zingas,  and  to  keep 
back  from  their  pay  the  amount  of  their  debts  to  him,  for 


ZING  AS  AND  THEIR  COUNTRY.  91 

which  I  gave  him  a  cheque.  I  have  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  merchant  was  as  ill  pleased  with  the  settlement  as  T 
was  satisfied,  for  the  Zingas  almost  without  exception  turned 
out  excellent  and  trustworthy  workmen. 

Although  the  Zinga  country  does  not  lie  within  the  limits 
of  the  Congo  State,  nor  yet  immediately  contiguous  to  its 
boundaries,  those  people  are  so  frequently  to  be  met  with  in 
that  part  of  the  Congo  territory  which  I  am  describing,  that  I 
shall  make  a  digression  in  order  to  give  a  brief  account  of 
them.  In  former  days  they  were  a  powerful  nation  under 
the  rule  of  queens,  whose  dominion  extended  as  far  north 
as  the  mouth  of  the  Congo.  Commercial  treaties,  however, 
with  the  Portuguese  have  so  greatly  curtailed  their  boun- 
daries that  the  Zinga  country  does  not  now  extend  farther 
north  than  the  Kwanza,  and  is,  in  fact,  a  district  some  fifty 
miles  square  extending  along  that  river.  The  nation  is  now 
wholly  tributary  to  the  Portuguese,  its  internal  government 
being  practically  in  the  hands  of  the  head  chief  or  chiefs, 
and  the  queen's  supremacy  has  shrunk  to  a  mere  nominis 
umhi^a.  The  Zingas  are  a  fine  athletic  race  and  brave ; 
good  workmen  and  faithful  servants  when  in  an  alien 
country.  They  bring  no  women  with  them,  but  marry  those 
of  the  country  in  which  they  may  be  sojourning.  With 
their  own  native  institutions  I  have  no  acquaintance,  as  they 
adopted  the  manners  of  the  people  with  whom  they  dwelt. 

So  large  an  accession  to  our  numbers  enabled  me  to 
make  much  more  rapid  progress  with  our  station  clearings 
and  buildings  than  before.  By  this  time  I  had  completed 
the  central  store  and  the  dining  pavilion  on  the  Point 
— the  latter  an  octagonal  structure  built  on  the  same  prin- 


92  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

ciples  as  the  central  store,  but  open  on  all  sides  above  3 
feet  6  inches  from  the  ground,  and  fitted  with  curtains  of 
matting,  two  sides  being  entirely  open  down  to  the  ground. 
The  floor  was  not  properly  finished  until  a  much  later  date, 
when  it,  together  with  all  the  more  important  floors  in  the 
station,  were  paved  with  fine  hard  tiles  made  by  one  of  the 
Angolese  :  meantime  it  was  made  of  well-beaten  clay.  The 
palisades  along  both  river  fronts  were  completed,  and  the 
ramping  was  in  progress.  The  kitchen  and  cook's  dwelling- 
house  were  rather  more  than  half  finished,  and  the  land 
approach  to  the  station  was  temporarily  palisaded.  The 
bastion  at  the  Point,  which  I  had  designed  with  the 
object  of  placing  a  gun  (Krupp  No.  i  mountain  howitzer, 
5.7  calibre)  upon  it  in  such  position  as  to  enfilade  both 
river  fronts,  was  by  this  time  finished,  and  had  proved  a 
most  laborious  undertaking,  as  its  base  and  lower  stage  had 
to  be  built  up  with  the  largest  masses  of  stone  w^e  could 
contrive  to  move.  Another  tedious  piece  of  stone-work  in 
progress  at  this  time  was  the  embankment  outside  the 
palisade  next  the  Luebo,  which  we  were  obliged  to  con- 
struct in  order  to  protect  the  station  site  against  the  stream, 
whose  force  was  gradually  but  surely  eating  it  away.  With 
the  increased  number  of  workmen  I  made  rapid  progress  in 
clearing  the  jungle  towards  the  south,  so  as  to  gain  room  for 
our  plantations,  and  in  making  the  road  towards  Luluaburg. 
Thus  when  Dr.  Yvolf  returned  from  the  Sankoro  he  found 
many  changes  and  improvements  in  the  condition  of  the 
station. 

The  exploration  of  the  Sankoro  is  so  far  a  portion  of  my 
own  narrative,  that  my  lack  of  ability  to  recount  its  precise 


THE  SANKORO  EXPLORED.  93 

details  will  not  void  my  liability  to  tell  the  leading  incidents 
of  the  story  as  they  were  told  to  me.  After  descending  the 
Kasai  to  its  junction  with  the  Sankoro,  and  thence  ascend- 
ing the  latter  a  short  distance,  the  3n  Avant  met  with  a 
slight  accident,  which  was  soon  repaired.  The  expedition 
then  voyaged  up  the  river  for  about  a  week  before  coming 
into  communication  with  the  natives,  w^hom  they  found 
very  shy.  Proceeding  farther,  they  entered  the  dominions 
of  a  chieftainess,  who  received  the  party  in  a  most  friendly 
way,  and  with  whom  they  remained  two  or  three  days.  The 
expedition  next  encountered  some  danger  from  predatory 
natives,  when  by  mischance  the  En  Avant  had  run  upon  a 
sandbank.'"  The  greater  part  of  the  goods  had  to  be  taken 
out  of  the  vessel,  and  the  cloth  and  various  articles  of  wear- 
ing apparel  were  spread  abroad  to  dry.  The  natives  observed 
with  envy  so  great  a  display  of  wealth,  and  deeming  it  to 
be  quite  undefended — for  the  members  of  the  expedition 
being  unprovided  with  arrows,  were  in  their  opinion  un- 
armed— they  determined  to  possess  themselves  of  it.  They, 
however,  committed  the  additional  error  of  supposing  their 
language  utterly  unknown  to  their  intended  victims,  for 
happening  to  discuss  the  project  in  the  presence  of  Humba, 
the  interpreter,  they  inadvertently  apprised  him  of  their 
design.  He  immediately  informed  Dr.  Wolf,  who  was 
accordingly  on  his  guard.  During  a  palaver  which  he  held 
with  the  chief.  Dr.  Wolf,  in  order  to  prove  that  he  possessed 
a  more    potent  weapon   than   bows    and    arrows   or  spears, 

*  Just  at  this  juncture  it  was  discovered  that  the  fire-bars  in  the  engine  furnace  were 
burnt  tlirough.  Mr.  Schneider  made  use  of  two  ritie-barrels  wherewith  to  repair  the 
damage  during  this  interruption  to  the  voyage. 


94  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

fired  off  a  barrel  of  his  revolver  in  the  air,  making  as  little 
premonitory  movement  as  possible.  The  effect  on  the  natives 
may  be  more  easily  imagined  than  described  :  in  the  wildest 
alarm  they  rushed  to  their  canoes,  capsizing  many  in  their 
frantic  efforts  to  escape  in  them,  and  fled  headlong  in  every 
direction.  Proceeding  yet  farther,  the  expedition  came  to 
parts  where  the  natives  were  more  friendly  and  reliable,  and 
not  far  from  the  junction  of  the  Lomami  with  the  Sankoro, 
Dr.  Wolf  met  with  the  renowned  ivory  and  slave  trader 
Sappoo  Sahib,  who  with  a  large  armed  retinue,  chiefly  of  Arabs 
and  Nyamweze,  chanced  to  be  in  that  part  of  the  country 
on  a  trading  excursion.  Dr.  Wolf  was  much  pleased  with 
his  manner  and  appearance,  which  he  described  as  dignified 
and  courteous.  He  is  a  Mohammedan,  of  course,  and  is 
generally  held  as  the  second  great  marauder-merchant  of 
Central  Africa ;  Tippoo  Tib  being,  since  the  overthrow  of 
Mirambo,  facile  princeps.  Passing  the  mouth  of  the 
Lomami,  the  expedition  ascended  the  Sankoro,  which  they 
found  interrupted  with  rapids.  These  surmounted,  others 
were  encountered,  up  which  it  was  impossible  to  take  the 
En  Avant,  for  although  there  appeared  to  be  sufficient 
depth  of  water,  the  steam  power  of  the  boat  was  unequal 
to  the  task.  From  this  point,  not  far  short  of  320  miles 
from  its  confluence  with  the  Kasai,  the  Sankoro  was 
descended  as  far  as  the  Lomami,  the  ascent  of  which  Dr. 
Wolf  next  attempted.  Eapids,  however,  again  barred  the 
way  at  no  great  distance  above  its  mouth,  and  the  expedi- 
tion had  to  turn  back  and  regain  the  Sankoro.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  descent  was  entirely  uneventful,  and  the 
whole  excursion  may  be  regarded  as  most  fortunate.     The 


RESULTS  OF  THE  EXPLORATION.  95 

exploration  had  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  some  400 
miles  of  inland  navigation,  extending  through  a  rich  and 
fertile  country,  in  which,  wherever  the  banks  were  wooded, 
there  was  abundant  evidence  of  the  existence  of  elephants, 
and  where  the  natives  consequently  were  possessed  of  no 
small  store  of  ivory.  But  the  most  important  result  was 
the  demonstration  that  the  united  waters  of  the  Lomami 
and  Sankoro  discharge  themselves  into  the  Congo,  together 
with  those  of  the  Kasai  and  Kwango,  at  Kwamouth,  and 
not  independently  either  by  the  Lubiranzi  or  Buruki, 
as  had  been  supposed.  How  far  the  success  of  this  ex- 
pedition was  due  to  Dr.  Wolf's  prudence  and  indomitable 
perseverance,  or  to  mere  good  fortune,  those  who  have 
served  on  exploring  expeditions  in  Africa  can  best  deter- 
mine. The  results  of  so  much  courage,  toil,  and  anxiety 
read  lightly  as  the  record  of  a  pleasant  summer  trip, 
but  those  who  have  taken  part  in  the  living  reality  can 
feel  how  easily  the  expedition  might  have  ended  other- 
wise. Many,  if  not  all,  the  circumstances  attending  it 
would — me  judice — with  almost  any  other  man  in  com- 
mand, have  led  to  failure  :  Avith  Dr.  Wolf  they  formed  the 
basis  of  success. 

The  return  of  the  En  Avant  was  attended  by  an  amusing 
incident  at  Luebo,  which,  as  it  is  a  tale  that  points  a  moral, 
may  be  worth  recounting.  For  the  same  reason,  and  since 
it  illustrates  the  same  maxim,  a  legend  that  has  long 
been  current  in  my  own  foniily  shall  also  be  narrated. 
And  the  moral  of  both  is  this  :  never  attempt  a  pleasant 
surprise  unless  you  are  quite  sure  that  the  sur})rise  to 
your  friends  may  not  merely  fail  of  its  pleasant  character, 


96  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

but  may  eventually  prove  an  unpleasant  surprise  to  your- 
self. Many  years  ago,  when  the  Church  of  the  United 
Brethren  was  a  flourishing,  though  always  small  religious 
community  in  England,  a  certain  worthy  single  sister  was 
sent  thither  by  the  authorities  at  Herrnhut.  The  voyage 
from  Hamburg  across  the  North  Sea  was  in  those  days  a 
long  and  very  tedious  affair  of  perfectly  uncertain  duration, 
and  the  good  sister  had  on  this  occasion  ample  time  for 
reflection  in  the  complete  solitude  in  wdiich  she  found  her- 
self on  board  a  sailing  vessel  manned  by  Englishmen,  of 
whose  language  she  was  as  ignorant  as  they  were  of  hers. 
It  naturally  occurred  to  her  that  the  present  was  a  good 
opportunity  of  acquiring  a  little  preliminary  knowledge  of 
English,  with  the  view  of  astonishing  her  friends  in  London 
by  her  rapid  acquisition  of  the  national  language.  Accord- 
ingly she  observed  the  crew,  listening  attentively  to  their 
mode  of  salutation,  and  practising  those  words  that  seemed 
to  be  delivered  as  well  with  the  most  cordial  good-will  as 
with  the  greatest  force  of  expression.  When  at  length  the 
vessel,  ascending  the  Thames,  moored  off  the  Custom  House 
stairs,  and  the  local  brethren  came  on  board  to  welcome  her, 
the  sister's  grand  opportunity  to  display  her  learning  and 
surprise  her  friends  arrived.  To  their  kindly  words  of 
greeting  and  of  inquiry  the  amazing  response  was  given — 
"  Goot  morning,  tamm  your  ice  !  "  Horrified  at  such  a 
salute  from  one  so  pious,  and  by  other  yet  more  repre- 
hensible phraseology  that  followed,  the  worthy  people  hastily 
requested  her  to  speak  only  in  German  for  the  present,  and 
wondered  much  among  themselves  why  Providence  had  sent 
them  such  a  swearing  sister.      Very  similar  was  the  success 


AN  AGREEABLE  SURPRISE.  97 

attending  the  greeting  with  which  the  Sankoro  expedition 
designed  to  surprise  us  on  their  return.  It  was  long  after 
nightfall,  and  I  was  sitting  in  the  dining-room  on  the  Point 
writing,  according  to  my  usual  custom,  when,  suddenly- 
through  the  stillness  of  the  night,  above  the  booming  of 
the  rapids,  I  heard  the  scream  of  a  shell  followed  by  the 
report  of  a  gun,  and  then  a  crash.  Almost  immediately 
the  bugler  sounded  to  arms,  and  before  I  had  time  to 
stay  the  alarm,  every  one  was  rushing  here  and  there  in 
frightened  preparation  to  resist  some  invisible  foe.  Just 
for  a  moment  I  myself  had  wondered  who  it  might  possibly 
be  that  was  shelling  us,  but,  of  course,  I  instantly  thought 
of  the  En  Avant,  and  rejoiced  that  she  had  returned.  I 
soon  had  my  people  reassured,  and  beyond  the  fright  that 
it  caused  a  Zanzibari  who  chanced  to  be  below  the  cotton- 
wood  tree  into  which  the  shell  crashed,  this  pleasant  sur- 
prise caused  no  damage  to  any  one ;  but  its  result  might 
have  been  very  different.  When,  next  morning,  the  vessel 
came  up  to  the  station  landing-place,  about  7  a.m.,  we 
learned  that  on  the  last  day  of  her  voyage,  having  a  rather 
longer  distance  to  overtake  than  could  be  accomplished  in 
daylight,  the  En  Avant  held  on  through  the  darkness  until 
obliged  to  stop  for  a  supply  of  wood.  They  knew  that  they 
were  not  far  from  the  station,  but  being  unaware  of  their 
exact  position,  they  deemed  themselves  at  a  sufficiently  safe 
distance  to  permit  their  surprising  us  in  the  charming  (?) 
manner  in  which  they  had  announced  their  proximity.  We 
found  the  En  Avant  laden  with  curiosities  of  all  kinds  :  a 
perfect  museum  of  the  countries  through  which  she  had 
passed.     Amongst  the  collection  were  some  singular  shields, 


98  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

made  of  bamboo  pith,  backed  with  cowhide,  and  grotesquely 
coloured  red  and  white  with  clay;  a  number  of  really  beautiful 
battle-axes  inlaid  with  copper ;  drinking-cups  of  wood  richly 
carved,  and  of  quaint  design ;  and  native  cloth  finely  woven 
in  patterns  so  rich  and  admirably  varied  that  no  one  could 
believe  it  the  work  of  an  uncivilised  race,  Mr.  Vander 
Felson,  too,  had  largely  compensated  himself  for  the  loss  of 
his  valued  parrot  on  the  Congo  by  acquiring  a  numerous 
assortment  of  that  species  :  amongst  them  a  king  parrot, 
gorgeous  in  his  lovely  scarlet  plumage. 


CHITABO  ON   MIAW. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Dr.  Wolf  attempts  to  ascend  the  Kasai — The  En  Arant  disabled — A  perilous  project — 
The  Peace  arrives  with  Lieut.  Wissmann  on  board,  and  departs  towing  the  En  Avant 
down  to  Leopold ville — Vander  Felson's  farewell — Wissmann  and  Wolf  go  to  Lulua- 
burg,  and  thereafter  explore  the  Kasai  up  to  its  first  falls — The  Stanley  arrives  at 
Luebo^  Ad  venture  of  the  Baron  de  Schwerin — Results  of  Messrs.  Wissmann  and 
Wolf's  excursion  to  the  Kasai — Our  journey  to  Luluaburg — The  neighbouring  natives 
— Incidents  of  the  march — Accident  at  the  Miaw — Luluaburg — Congolemosch — 
Kashia-Calemba  and  the  king — Lubuku  and  Ihiamba-smoking. 


Dr.  Wolf,  who  had  returned  on  the  7th  of  April  1886,  did 
not  allow  himself  any  long  period  of  repose.  The  few  days 
he  spent  at  Luebo  were  all  busily  employed  in  storing  and 
arranging  the  trophies  of  discovery,  and  in  making  ready  the 
En  Avant  for  her  next  voyage.  This,  it  was  settled,  should 
be  on  the  Upper  Kasai,  above  the  junction  of  the  Lulua  with 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


that  river.  Accordingly,  as  soon  as  ever  arrangements  could 
be  made,  the  En  Avant,  with  Dr.  Wolf  and  the  same  officers 
and  crew  on  board,  unmoored  from  Luebo  and  dropped  down 
the  stream,  bound  once  more  for  waters  new  and  unexplored. 
Gaining  the  confluence  of  the  rivers,  and  camping  there  that 
night,  the  expedition  began  next  morning  to  ascend  the 
Kasai.  They  had  not,  however,  gone  far  before  one  of  the 
paddles  struck  against  a  snag,  and  so  injured  itself,  and  also 
the  engine,  that  the  latter  becoming  useless,  and  the  pump 
refusing  to  work,  the  En  Avant  floated  a  helpless  log  upon 
the  river.  Drifting  with  the  stream  back  again  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Lulua,  the  vessel  anchored,  and  Dr.  Wolf  immedi- 
ately ordered  the  whaleboat  to  be  manned,  and  provisioned 
for  the  ascent  of  the  Kasai,  a  feat  which  he  intended  thus 
to  undertake,  leaving  Messrs.  Schneider  and  Vander  Felson 
on  board  the  steamer,  with  orders  to  obtain  certain  stores, 
and  reinforcements  from  me,  and  thereafter  to  attempt  to 
navigate  the  En  Avant  down-stream,  first  to  Kwamouth, 
and  thence  to  Leopoldville  for  repairs.  Providentially  the 
courage  and  energy  of  Dr.  Wolf  and  his  subordinates  were 
not  to  be  subjected  to  so  severe  a  test,  nor  were  they  so  far 
to  tempt  misfortune.  Just  as  the  whaleboat  was  pushing 
off,  the  Baptist  missionary  steamer  Peace,  with  Lieut.  Wiss- 
mann,  the  Baron  von  Nimptsch,  Meinheer  Greshoff,  and  the 
Rev.  George  and  Mrs.  Grenfell  on  board,  came  in  sight. 
This  meeting  was  as  fortunate  as  it  was  unexpected,  for 
while  it  delivered  the  people  of  the  En  Avant  from  their 
trying  situation,  it  secured  for  one  of  the  company  on  board 
the  Peace  that  skilful  surgical  treatment  of  which  he  stood 
in  need.     Herr  von  Nimptsch  had  somehow  come  by  an  ugly 


VANDER  FELSON'S  FAREWELL. 


wound  on  his  hand,  which  would  probably  have  rendered 
amputation  necessary  had  it  remained  much  longer  un- 
dressed. Taking  Dr.  Wolf  on  board,  and  the  whaleboat 
in  tow,  the  Peace  came  on  to  Luebo ;  the  -E'^i  Avant  being 
left  at  the  confluence,  to  be  taken  down-stream  when  the 
party  should  return.  Thus  I  was  agreeably  surprised  by 
the  arrival  of  our  visitors,  though  I  naturally  regretted 
that  disaster  should  so  soon  have  overtaken  the  Kasai  ex- 
ploration. 

We  took  our  guests  up  the  Luebo,  as  far  as  the  navi- 
gation permitted,  to  see  the  Falls,  the  only  "  lion "  of  the 
station,  except  the  plantations  at  Kassenge,  which  we  also 
visited.  I  wonder  much  whether  we  really  made  a  more 
practical  use  of  some  of  our  time  in  selecting  a  site  for 
a  mission  station,  in  the  hope  that  some  day  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society  might  be  able  to  occupy  it. 

After  a  sojourn  of  three  days,  the  Peace  left  us  on  her 
return  down  the  Lulua,  taking  with  her  the  personal  efi'ects 
of  Messrs.  Schneider  and  Vander  Felson,  who  had  remained 
on  board  the  En  Avant  at  the  confluence,  and  were  to  go 
on  thence  to  Leopoldville  without  returning  to  Luebo.  I 
sent  down  by  the  steamer  Mr.  Yander  Felson's  collec- 
tion of  parrots,  about  which  he  had  written  to  me.  He 
had  kindly  said  in  concluding  his  note,  and  with  reference 
to  the  period  which  must  inevitably  elapse  before  we  should 
see  anything  of  each  other  again,  that  he  hoped  we  should 
"meet  on  the  other  side  of  the  water."  Poor  fellow!  he 
little  thought  to  what  water  his  words  would  apply.  He 
died  at  Banana  when  actually  on  board  the  homeward-bound 
steamer. 


UXDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


The  Peace  took  away  all  the  party  she  had  brought 
except  Lieut.  Wissmann,  who  had  come  back  from  Madeh'a 
recruited  in  health,  and  prepared  for  further  exploration. 
His  first  work  at  Luebo  was  to  go  through  the  stores  in  our 
magazine,  with  the  view  of  ascertaining  how  far  they  might 
be  available  in  supplying  an  expeditionary  force  to  cross  the 
continent  to  Zanzibar,  which  should  examine  en  route  into 
the  existence  of  the  reputed  Lake  Muatanzige.  Finding 
that  we  had  at  best  nothing  to  spare  wherewith  to  furnish 
forth  an  expedition — for  the  Sankoro  exploration  had,  as  a 
matter  of  necessity,  lessened  our  store — Lieut.  Wissmann, 
leaving  his  heavier  luggage  at  Luebo,  "went  on  to  Luluaburg 
in  company  -with  Dr.  Wolf.  Thence  he  passed  rapidly  to 
Muansangoma,  ordering  a  good  supply  of  cloth  and  cowries 
from  Senhor  Saturnino,  which  he  divided  between  the  t^vo 
stations  of  Luebo  and  Luluaburg.  From  Muansangoma  he 
came  on  direct  to  Luebo,  where  Dr.  Wolf  rejoined  him,  and 
they  determined  to  accomplish  together  that  which  the  latter 
had  essayed  in  exploring  the  Tapper  Kasai.  For  that  purpose 
the  whaleboat  was  refitted  ;  a  new  and  improved  awning 
being  introduced,  and  other  improvements  efi'ected  which  ren- 
dered it  more  suitable  for  the  accommodation  of  an  explor- 
ing party.  They  took  with  them  eight  rowers  and  a  serving 
boy,  together  with  a  small  quantity  of  provisions  and  all 
requisites  for  making  observations. 

Only  a  day  or  two  after  the  departure  of  this  small  party 
the  merchandise  ordered  from  Senhor  Saturnino  reached  us. 
It  was  convoyed  by  Senhor  Carvalho  in  person,  who  continued 
thenceforward  to  reside  chiefly  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  station — at  least  so  long  as  I  remained  there — for  the 


THE  BARON  DE  SCHWERIN.  103 


purpose  of  building  canoes,   and  thereby  pushing  his  trade 
interests  amongst  the  riparian  tribes. 

In  the  course  of  the  week  following,  the  Stanley,  under 
command  of  Lieut.  Andersson,  arrived  at  Luebo,  having  on 
board  Captain  the  Baron  de  Macar  and  Lieut.  Le  Marinel, 
both  officers  of  the  Carabineers,  who  were  sent  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  over  on  behalf  of  the  State  the  station 
of  Luluaburg,  which  had  been  heretofore  the  property  of 
Lieut.  Wissmann's  expedition.  There  was  also  on  board 
the  Stanley  the  Baron  de  Schwerin,  envoy  of  the  Swedish 
Government,  who  was  travelling  through  the  Congo  State, 
with  the  approbation  of  the  Governor,  for  purposes  of  scien- 
tific observation.  This  nobleman  encountered  an  adventure 
on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  on  which  he  arrived  at 
Luebo  that  might  have  had  a  very  unfortunate  termination. 
Having  been  more  than  fully  engaged  during  the  greater 
part  of  that  day,  I  had  no  opportunity  of  looking  after  our 
guests,  but  on  our  assembling  at  6  p.m.  in  the  dining 
pavilion,  and  missing  the  Baron  from  the  company,  I  re- 
membered having  seen  him  a  little  before  five  o'clock,  and 
having  answered  a  question  he  had  addressed  to  me  as  to 
the  distance  of  the  Luebo  Falls.  As,  after  waiting  for  some 
time,  we  were  obliged  to  dine  without  him,  we  began  to 
fear  that  he  had  gone  thither,  and  returning  too  late,  had 
lost  his  way,  and  might  be  wandering  helplessly  in  the 
jungle.  Accordingly,  after  dinner,  we  sent  out  a  search 
party  accompanied  by  a  bugler,  but  they  returned  about  10 
P.M.,  their  search  having  proved  entirely  fruitless.  At  this 
juncture  Senhor  Carvalho  volunteered  his  services,  and  set 
out  with  a  fresh  party.     Their  efforts  were  happily  success- 


104  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


ful.  They  were  so  fortunate  as  to  come  upon  the  Baron, 
who  having  lost  his  way,  and  calmly  despairing  of  recovering 
it  in  the  darkness,  was,  with  a  curious  indifference  to,  or 
ignorance  of,  the  frightful  dangers  surrounding  him,  actually 
preparing  to  pass  the  night  in  a  kind  of  cubicle  that  he 
had  made  for  himself  with  leaves  and  branches.  When 
brought  into  the  station,  M.  de  Schwerin  was  drenched 
with  the  heavy  rain  that  had  fallen  after  sunset,  and 
shivering  with  incipient  fever ;  but  timely  remedies  being- 
administered,  no  serious  consequences  supervened,  and  he 
was  able  to  continue  his  observations  without  any  material 
interruption. 

The  Stanley  had  spoken  the  Peace  with  the  En  Avant 
in  tow  near  the  Nzali  Mpini,  but  had  seen  nothing  of  Lieut. 
Wissmann's  party  at  the  confluence  of  the  Kasai  and  Lulua, 
which  was  precisely  what  we  had  expected.  Before  our  visitors 
left  us,  however,  we  were  surprised  by  the  return  of  the  expedi- 
tion. It  appeared  that  the  Kasai  was  navigable  for  only  about 
forty  miles  above  the  embouchure  of  the  Lulua — a  much 
less  distance  than  had  been  anticipated.  The  cataracts 
which  interrupted  its  navigation  were,  in  the  lower  fall,  about 
twenty-three  feet  in  height,  the  upper  fall  having  a  less  eleva- 
tion. From  their  position  it  may  be  reasonably  inferred  that 
the  bar  of  rock  here  crossing  the  bed  of  the  Kasai  is  identical 
with  that  which  interi'upts  the  Lulua  above  its  junction 
with  the  Luebo,  causing,  however,  in  the  latter  case,  a  multi- 
tude of  rapids  rather  than  one  or  two  well-defined  cataracts. 
The  expedition  made  no  minor  discoveries  of  a  noteworthy 
character,  and  its  main  result — the  discovery  of  the  falls, 
which  Lieut.  AMssmann  named  after  himself — made  it  plain 


WE  LEAVE  FOR  LULU  ABU  RG.  105 


that  any  further  exploration  of  the  Kasai  must  be  undertaken 
from  the  shore  or  in  boats  carried  a  greater  or  less  distance 
overland.  In  the  course  of  two  or  three  days  the  Stanley 
discharged  her  cargo  of  stores — an  ample  supply — and  having 
taken  on  board  Dr.  Wolf,  with  his  scientific  collections,  and 
re-embarked  M.  de  Schwerin,  she  left  us  on  her  return  voyage 
to  Leopoldville. 

We  had  now  in  prospect  a  journey  of  about  120  miles 
to  Luluaburg,  from  which  station  saddle-oxen  for  the  party 
had  been  sent,  and  had  arrived  at  Luebo  some  ten  days 
after  the  departure  of  the  Stanley.  It  was  arranged  that 
during  my  absence  Senhor  Carvalho  should  be  in  charge  of 
the  station,  and  all  other  preparations  having  been  com- 
pleted by  the  8th  of  June,  Lieut.  Wissmann,  Mons.  de  Macar, 
Mons.  Le  Marinel,  and  myself,  accompanied  by  a  sufficient 
escort,  began  our  march  on  the  forenoon  of  that  day.  Taking 
the  native  road  through  the  dense  jungle,  we  followed  its 
winding  and  uneven  course,  until,  some  fourteen  miles 
from  Luebo,  we  came  out  into  open  and  grassy  country, 
through  which  we  held  on  for  about  eight  miles  farther, 
where  we  arrived  at  the  Chiplumba  village  of  Beni-Kashia, 
situated  on  the  verge  of  a  rapid  descent  into  the  forests  over- 
hanging the  Luebo,  to  which  river  it  is  somewhat  nearer 
than  to  the  Lulua.  It  is  rather  a  poor  place,  being  exposed 
to  the  interference  of  Shammatuka  and  Bakete  neighbours, 
but  the  chief,  Chikabo,  met  us  with  seeming  courtesy,  and 
made  the  usual  presents.  On  leaving  camp  next  morning, 
June  9th,  we  skirted  along  the  edge  of  a  great  landslip, 
where  the  ground  had  gone  down  a  depth  of  perhaps  300 
feet  towards  the  Luebo,   the  drainage    area    of  wliicli  river 


io6  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

we  here  left,  crossing  the  deep-wooded  valleys  of  two  small 
streams  flowing  independently  towards  the  Lulua.  Passing 
over  the  north-eastern  slopes  of  a  range  of  low  hills,  running 
N.N.E.  and  S.S.W.,  we  came  into  the  basin  of  the  Musisi, 
high-lying  grass-land  through  which  the  river  has  been  for 
ages  deepening  its  way  to  the  Lulua,  so  that  it  now  flows  at 
the  bottom  of  a  densely  wooded  ravine,  presenting,  at  the 
point  at  which  we  crossed  it,  a  steep  descent  of  upwards  of 
700  feet  on  either  side.  The  Musisi  itself  we  found  to  be  wide 
though  rapid  and  very  shallow,  much  discoloured  by  the 
presence  of  some  kind  of  yellow  earth,  and  easily  fordable. 
Having  crossed  and  gained  the  level  of  the  rolling  grass-land 
once  more,  we  camped  near  the  site  of  a  deserted  village, 
where  the  ruined  half-uprooted  plantations  made  the  wilder- 
ness look  doubly  desolate.  Leaving  camp  early  on  the  loth, 
and  proceeding  for  some  five  miles  through  a  grassy  country, 
we  came  to  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Musisi,  running 
towards  the  S.W.  through  a  similarly  deep  and  densely 
wooded  glen.  The  stream  itself,  known  as  the  Luisi,  cover- 
ing a  narrow  bed  of  rock,  is  rapid,  deep  in  places,  and 
dark-looking.  This  crossed,  we  came  at  mid-day  to  Beni 
Muamba,  a  fair-sized  village,  or  rather  collection  of  villages, 
situated  amid  the  grassy  plain,  where  we  noticed  for  the  first 
time  in  our  journey  the  ensign  of  the  Lubuku  brotherhood 
— a  worn-out  kinshu  (hollow  gourd  for  smoking  Ihiamba) 
raised  on  a  long  pole.  The  chief  received  us  in  the  cus- 
tomary manner,  and  we  rested  there  for  luncheon.  Proceed- 
ing on  our  way,  we  came  late  to  the  site  of  another  deserted 
town,  about  twenty  miles  from  our  last  camping-ground. 
Here  we  halted  for  the  night,  and  thence  made  an  early  start 


Ill      I 


i|      lllll!:!!j 

i 


''li  I 


;iiii:,i!i. 


!i  i! '  i  ''r''!l'''irii"' 


!i    mi  % 


hi  > ' 


'III,,'     ..I 


^^MIAW/"  107 

on  the  morning  of  the  iith;  but  having  been  unable,  of 
course  (owing  to  the  fact  that  we  were  in  an  uninhabited 
district),  to  obtain  sufficient  provisions  for  our  men,  we 
could  continue  our  journey  no  farther  than  to  Chinyama, 
where  we  encamped.  As  I  shall  fully  describe  the  country 
through  which  we  passed  on  the  nth  and  following  day 
in  giving  the  details  of  my  return  journey,  I  need  only 
here  remark,  that  before  nightfall  on  the  12th  we  reached 
the  post  on  the  Miaw  river  known  as  Chitabo,  which  Herr 
Bugslag,  the  chief  of  the  station  at  Luluaburg,  had  estab- 
lished for  the  convenience  of  travellers  passing  between 
that  station  and  Luebo :  a  nice  little  house  just  above 
high-water  level  at  the  river's  edge.  The  descent  to  this 
stream  from  the  uplands,  unlike  that  of  every  other  consider- 
able river  we  had  crossed  in  our  journey  from  Luebo,  Avas 
very  gradual  and  destitute  of  wood.  The  road  took  us 
through  the  village,  where  the  chief,  Muanamput,  having 
been  guilty  of  some  very  serious  misconduct,  received  a 
severe  personal  correction  from  Lieut.  Wissmann. 

The  grotesquely  ugly  name  of  this  place  (Miaw)  had  led 
me  into  an  amusing  mistake  some  months  previously.  Having 
despatched  a  messenger  to  Luluaburg,  I  required  from  him 
on  his  return  a  circumstantial  account  of  his  journey.  On 
asking  him  where  he  had  slept  on  the  first  night  after  leaving 
Luluaburg  he  replied,  "  Miaw."  Thinking  that  my  ears  had 
deceived  me,  I  repeated  my  question,  and  received  again 
the  same  reply,  only  with  more  emphasis,  "  Miaw  !  "  Being 
now  convinced  that  the  man  was  intending  to  display  his 
independence  by  insolently  mimicking  a  cat  or  some  other 
animal  instead  of  replying  to  my  question,  I  smartly  rebuked 


io8  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

him,  when,  the  interpreter  happily  intervening,  the  matter 
was  explained. 

Of  course  we  encamped  for  the  night  at  the  little  house 
by  the  river,  and  were  ferried  across  early  next  morning. 
Just  below  the  crossing-place  there  are  some  rapids,  so 
diversified  and  broken  with  rocks  as  to  present  a  pleasing 
bit  of  water-scenery.  The  Miaw,  in  common  with  all  the 
rivers  we  had  passed,  falls  into  the  Lulua,  to  which  it 
contributes  a  stream  of  clear,  almost  perfectly  colourless 
water.  When  we  crossed  in  the  morning,  we  found  that 
Gomez,  the  assistant-interpreter  at  Luluaburg,  had  arrived 
thence  the  preceding  evening  with  two  saddle-oxen  for 
our  use,  in  case  those  that  Lieut.  Wissmann  and  I  had 
ridden  should  be  over-fatigued.  Not  being  informed  of  his 
peculiarities,  when  I  came  to  mount  the  bullock  assigned 
me,  I  went  through  a  performance  more  amusing  to  the 
onlookers  than  to  myself.  No  sooner  did  I  attempt  to  seat 
myself  on  the  saddle,  than  down  the  brute  settled  himself 
on  his  knees,  and  as  he  seemed  to  mean  rolling,  I  thought 
it  best  to  make  him  rise  before  again  trying  to  mount. 
This  was  not  so  easily  to  be  done  :  it  was  only  after  long 
and  violent  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  bullock-man  that 
we  succeeded  in  getting  him  up.  Just  as  he  was  rising 
I  sprang  upon  his  back,  and  making  a  vigorous  use  of  spurs 
and  whip,  contrived  to  get  him  properly  in  hand,  after  which 
he  gave  us  no  further  trouble.  Subsequently  I  was  told  that 
the  creature  had  been  trained  by  his  former  master  to  this 
conduct,  and  had  I  only  placed  myself  on  the  saddle  at 
first  when  he  subsided,  he  would  not  have  rolled,  as  I  had 
anticipated,   but   would   have   risen   with    me  on    his    back. 


i'ili!  lii'lr '' 


i" 


r   i 

lidiili 


si! iiJIIII  I: 


lllliilhllllilliiii 


iliii':ii! 


ill  1 


"I'lii 


i 


fill  '" 

u      I  ' 


'!  T'  if  1 ! 


LULUABURG.  109 


The  road  still  lay  through  a  grassy  country  gradually  rising 
from  the  river,  from  which  we  had  not  gone  far  when  a 
beautiful  harness-back  antelope  bounded  across  our  path, 
with  such  speed,  that  although  we  were  on  the  look-out 
for  game,  which  is  abundant  near  these  rivers,  and  fired 
after  it,  the  creature  escaped  scatheless.  Our  party,  quite 
an  imposing  cavalcade  for  this  part  of  the  country,  was 
an  object  of  wonder  and  admiration  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  several  small  villages  through  which  we  passed. 
They  had  been  apprised  of  our  coming,  and  turned  out 
to  salute  us  with  the  usual  clapping  of  hands  and  cries 
of  Avelcome,  so  that  we  drew  to  the  end  of  our  journey  in 
a  species  of  triumph.  Soon  after  mid-day  we  came  to  a 
small  stream  called  the  Pioko,  in  crossing  which  Lieut. 
Wissmann  had  the  misfortune  to  injure  his  thumb  severely 
with  a  snap-hook  attached  to  the  rein  of  the  bullock  which 
he  was  riding :  one  cannot  be  too  careful,  in  riding  these 
animals,  to  provide  against  every  possibility  of  hurt  and 
accident.  From  this  stream  we  gradually  ascended  to 
Luluaburg,  seated  on  the  summit  of  its  grass-covered  hill, 
approaching  it  through  a  newly  planted  avenue  of  man- 
ganga  trees,  and  arrived  at  our  destination,  where  we 
were  received  by  Herr  Bugslag  about  2  p  m.  on  the  13th 
of  June. 

Luluaburg  crowns  the  summit  of  an  isolated  hill  some 
400  feet  above  the  Lulua,  from  which  it  is  distant  about 
a  mile.  It  is  fully  entrenched  and  fortified,  and  besides 
three  dwelling-houses  for  Europeans,  contains  two  barracks 
for  coloured  soldiers  and  employes,  an  interpreter's  house, 
and  the  usual  oflSces  of  kitchen,  &c.,  and  two  stores.     There 


no  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

is  also  a  house  for  the  women  employed  about,  the  station, 
as  well  as  goat,  pig,  and  cattle  yards.  The  plantations 
cover  a  large  portion  of  the  sloping  ground  between  the 
station  and  the  river  :  the  beautiful  prospect  from  the  din- 
ing-room, which  looks  in  this  direction — nearly  due  east — 
being  greatly  enhanced  by  the  variety  which  these  culti- 
vated enclosures  impart  to  the  fore  and  middle  ground. 
All  the  hilly  country  visible  from  Luluaburg  is  almost  bare 
of  trees,  being  wooded  only  in  the  lowest  valleys,  and 
presents  to  the  eye  nothing  but  a  sea  of  rounded  hill- 
tops unbroken  by  cliffs,  crag,  or  forest.  Large  herds  of 
cattle,  sheep,  and  goats  graze  through  these  downs,  those 
belonging  to  the  station  being  numerous,  and  sufficient 
for  its  meat  supply.  When  I  visited  the  plantations,  they 
were  in  admirable  order,  and  are,  I  am  told,  a  source  of 
profit  as  well  as  a  great  convenience.  It  was  at  that  time 
expected  that  the  yield  of  grain  would  shortly  make  the 
station  quite  independent  of  imported  supplies  of  that 
nature.  The  climate  of  Luluaburg  is  indubitably  much  more 
salubrious  than  that  of  Luebo  :  the  entire  absence  of  forest 
and  swampy  land  for  many  miles  around,  the  great  altitude 
and  perfect  drainage  of  the  station,  and  the  good  water, 
all  unite  to  make  it,  for  the  latitude,  an  exceptionally  healthy 
place. 

The  native  population  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Lulua- 
burg is  very  considerable,  as  compared  at  least  with  the 
neighbourhood  of  Luebo  and  districts  farther  down  the  rivers. 
Kashia-Calemba,  the  capital  of  the  Bashilange-Baluba,  is 
only  about  5^  miles  distant  from  the  station,  and  there  are 
other  large  villages   equally  near ;  but   our  first  visit,  after 


CONGOLEMOSCH. 


a  day  or  two's  rest,  was  paid  to  a  chief  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Lulua — Congolemosch  by  name.  As  our  business 
was  to  receive,  or  more  correctly  to  enforce,  his  submission 
and  homage,  we  took  with  us  a  considerable  body  of  men. 
This  chief,  a  cousin  of  Calemba's,  had,  during  the  latter's 
absence  down  the  Congo  with  Lieut.  Wissmann's  expedition, 
conceived  the  idea  of  making  himself  independent  of  his 
sovereign,  and  to  this  end  was  embracing  every  occasion 
of  resisting  his  authority  and  of  raising  disputes.  Doubt- 
less he  had  been  irritated  by  arbitrary  conduct  on  the 
part  of  Calemba's  representatives,  and  had  withal  some 
solid  arguments  to  urge  in  his  own  behalf,  but  the  course 
which  sound  policy  dictated  to  us  was  nevertheless  extremely 
simple.  Calemba's  authority  must  be  upheld  by  us  in  union 
with  our  own,  which  Congolemosch  had  also  defied.  Accord- 
ingly, on  the  15th  of  June,  when  we  arrived  at  his  village 
peacefully  enough,  though  accompanied  by  some  200  armed 
followers,  we  came  to  ascertain  from  him  explicitly  whether 
he  would  or  would  not  return  to  his  allegiance.  Seeing 
our  numbers  and  arms,  he  received  us  with  all  becoming 
respect  and  seeming  cordiality,  quickly  deciding  which 
course  he  would  pursue  as  to  his  submission.  We  had  a 
long  but  not  unpleasant  palaver,  although  the  act  of  homage 
which  ensued,  however  curious  to  witness,  was  anything  but 
gratifying  to  one's  feelings  :  to  me,  at  least,  it  is  painful  to , 
see  a  human  being  grovelling  in  so  abject  a  manner.  After 
protesting  his  entire  devotion  and  absolute  service,  poor 
Congolemosch  retired  to  a  distance  of  some  five  or  six  yards 
from  us,  and  throwing  himself  down  on  his  face,  rolled 
himself  towards  Lieut.  Wissmann's  feet.      There  he  licked 


112  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

the  ground  with  his  tongue,  and  covering  his  extended 
hands  with  dust,  raised  them  in  a  suppliant  manner  towards 
Lieut.  Wissmann,  who,  at  this  point,  lifted  him  up,  and  the 
ceremony  came  to  an  end.  The  tribute  for  which  we  had 
stipulated  was  afterwards  duly  paid. 

On  the  morrow  we  all  went  to  Kashia-Calemba  to  make 
our  visit  of  ceremony.  Less  than  an  hour's  ride  along  the  well- 
made  and  perfectly  kept  road,  of  an  uniform  width  of  forty 
feet,  brought  us  to  our  destination,  where  we  were  received 
in  the  central  square  of  the  town  by  Calemba  in  person,  his 
sister,  Meta  Sankolla  (a  woman  of  great  intellectual  power 
and  force  of  character),  and  the  principal  men.  The  town 
may  contain  a  population  of  about  2500  souls,  and  is  built 
with  some  attempt  at  regularity,  though  in  every  way,  except 
in  point  of  size,  inferior  to  the  Bakete  and  Basongo-Meno 
towns  that  I  had  seen.  It  is  unfortified  and  unenclosed, 
standing  on  the  verge  of  a  grassy  plain  at  the  summit  of 
an  ascent  similar  to  that  which  leads  to  Luluaburg.  The 
plantations  belonging  to  the  town,  from  which  they  are  dis- 
tant about  half  a  mile,  are  situated  on  the  road  by  which  we 
had  come.  The  central  square  is  remarkable,  as  being  the 
place  in  which  burns  the  perpetual  fire,  that,  together  with 
the  custom  of  Ihiamba  or  hemp-smoking,  has  been  intro- 
duced among  the  Bashilange-Baluba  by  the  Matchioko  as  a 
species  of  religion  under  the  name  of  "Lubuku,"  i.e.,  friend- 
ship. The  sacred  fire  is  constantly  fed  with  logs  by  the 
older  men  and  women,  who,  more  or  less  decrepit,  are  unable 
to  work  much  for  their  living,  and  being  supported  by  the 
community  at  large  as  a  sort  of  college,  occupy  the  houses 
assigned  them  in  the  square.     Besides  maintaining  the  per- 


LHIAMBA-SMOKING. 


113 


petual  fire,  these  old  people  have  to  cultivate  and  prepare  the 
Ihiamba  for  smoking:  the  Cannahis  Iiidica,  known  in  Zan- 
zibar as  bhangi  or  bhang.  Apart  from  such  use  as  may  be 
made  of  it  privately,  Ihiamba  is  smoked  ceremonially  as  a 
token  of  friendship,  and  is  also  administered  to  accused 
persons  as  a  species  of 
ordeal.  Its  public  or 
ceremonial  smoking  is 
begun  by  the  chief  or 
senior  man  present  plac- 
ing the  prepared  weed  in 
the  "  kinsu  dhiamba  " 
(i.e.,  Ihiamba  pipe),  and, 
after  smoking  a  while 
himself,  passing  it  on  to 
the  man  next  to  him. 
This  pipe  consists  of  a 
small  clay  bowl,  to  con- 
tain the  burninglhiamba, 
inserted  in  the  larger  end 
of  a  hollow  gourd,  the 
smaller  end  of  which  has 
a  large  aperture,  against 
which  the  smoker  places 

his  mouth  and  inhales  the  smoke  in  great  gulps.  In  many 
a  native  town  night  is  made  horrible  by  this  hateful  practice. 
Crouching  around  the  glowing  fire  amid  the  fitful  darkness 
of  a  cloudy  night,  the  dusky  brethren  of  Lubuku  pass  round 
the  intoxicating  pipe.  Meantime  the  tom-toms  beat  their 
one  eternal  accompaniment  to  the  wild  song  in  which  the 


\}\K^ 


LHIAMBA  (Cannabin  Indica). 


IT4  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

smokers  join  at  will,  sometimes  making  rude  harmony,  and 
sometimes  drowning,  by  discordant  cries,  the  melody  sus- 
tained by  the  less  frenzied  revellers.  Each  smokes  in  turn, 
and  then  is  shaken,  and  almost  suffocated,  by  the  scream- 
ing and  unnatural  cough  that  invariably  succeeds.  As 
the  baneful  poison  acts  upon  the  brain,  a  sudden  frenzy 
falls  upon  the  smoker,  who,  leaping  up,  pours  forth  with 
frantic  gestures  and  loud  cries  a  perfect  torrent  of  incoherent 
speech.  And  so,  the  pipe  going  round  the  circle,  some  are 
sinking  into  quietude,  while  others  smoke  again  or  sing, 
and  others  rave  in  madness  and  delirium,  or  screech,  and 
choke,  and  cough  in  hideous  chorus  until  the  poison  and 
exhaustion  gain  the  victory,  and,  one  by  one,  the  revellers 
sink  into  a  drunken  slumber  which  brings  no  real  refresh- 
ment to  the  sleeper.*  As  an  ordeal,  the  Ihiamba  is  supplied, 
after  some  preliminary  ceremonies  performed,  both  to  accuser 
and  accused  in  separate  kinsus.  They  smoke  simultaneously, 
and  he  who  is  the  first  to  succumb  to  the  power  of  the 
Ihiamba  is  declared  to  be  guilty  either  of  the  fault  or  of 
false  witness.  So  far  as  the  general  subject  of  Lubuku  is 
concerned,  I  will  only  now  remark — since  I  intend  treating 
the  matter  elsewhere — that  the  Bashilange-Baluba  are  in 
reality  without  a  religion.  Some  years  ago,  Calemba — who 
would  amongst  any  people  be  a  remarkable,  and,  indeed,  in 
many  respects  a  magnificent  man — abolished  Fetishism ;  t — 

*  See  Appendix  H. 

t  Nevertheless  throughout  the  Bashilange  country  a  curiously  shaped  obscene  little 
idol,  either  female  or  fashioned  like  a  priapus,  and  for  the  same  reasons  that  the  ancients 
placed  that  image  in  their  fields  and  gardens,  is  still  to  be  found  at  all  cross-roads.  It  is 
genei-ally  about  a  foot  in  heiglit,  and  stands  on  a  roimd  pedestal  raised  upon  a  pole  a 
yard  from  the  ground.  In  front  a  flat  stone  supports  a  basket,  into  which  passing  market- 
people,  and  all  who  have  concluded  a  bargain,  make  a  point  of  dropping  grain  or  other 


LUBUKU.  115 

into  its  place  Lubukii  has  crept.*  Like  all  other  African 
tribes  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  the  Bashilange  believe 
in  a  future  state,  and  possibly  in  the  existence  of  One 
Supreme  spiritual  Being,  but  have  otherwise  few  if  any 
theological  theories.  They  believe  in  witchcraft,  necromancy, 
magic  :  with  none  of  these  beliefs  does  Lubuku  interfere. 
Its  initiatory  rites  are  a  profound  and  unfathomable  mystery, 
and  whether  to  describe  Lubuku  as  a  secret  brotherhood,  a 
religion,  or  a  society  for  the  propagation  of  licentiousness, 
I  am  uncertain.  So  far  as  the  smoking  of  Ihiamba  itself  is 
concerned,  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  but  that  the 
Matchioko  introduced  it  primarily  for  purposes  of  fraud,  since 
persons  under  the  influence  of  that  poisonous  narcotic  are  tem- 
porarily insane,  and  therefore  at  the  mercy  of  the  first  cruel 
and  crafty  trader  that  may  come  across  them.  But  to  return 
to  our  interview  with  Calemba.  After  preliminary  greetings 
were  over,  and  we  had  partaken  of  the  luncheon  we  had 
brought  with  us,  Lieut.  Wissmann  presented  the  various  gifts 
that  he  had  procured  for  the  king,  some  of  which  were  ex- 
tremely handsome,  and  highly  gratified  the  recipient.  Having 
reported  Congolemosch's  submission,  Lieut.  Wissmann  pro- 
ceeded to  open  the  all-important  subject  of  his  expedition 
across  to  the  East  Coast,  and  invited  Calemba's  assistance. 
The  king  replied  that  he  could  do  nothing  without  the  co- 
operation of  his  chiefs,  nor  could  he  himself  leave  or  allow 
any  considerable   body  of  his  people  to  leave   home  while 

food,  which  any  starving  or  destitute  person  is  at  liberty  to  eat ;  but  no  prayer  or  supph'ca- 
tion  whatever  is  offered  before  these  fetishes,  so  far  as  I  know.     Would  that  in  countries 
where,  in  like  places,  the  Calvary  stretches  wide  its  "  salutary  arms  to  bless  the  waste  " 
a  similar  truly  charitable  custom  might  obtain  ! 
*  See  Appendix  J. 


ii6  UNDER   THE  LONE  STAR. 

the  country  was  in  an  unsettled  state,  and  especially  while 
another  powerful  chief,  Chilunga  Meso,  nominally  his  vassal, 
was  in  a  state  of  hostility  towards  him.  To  this  Lieut. 
AVissmann  replied,  that  having  anticipated  this  difficulty, 
he  had  sent  for  Chilunga  Meso,  and  had  arranged  that  he 
should  be  at  Luluaburg  on  the  following  day :  he  begged 
that  Calemba  would  meet  him  there.  This  the  king  dis- 
creetly refused  to  do,  saying  that  he  had  nothing  to  propose 
to  Chilunga  Meso,  though  the  latter  had,  or  ought  to  have, 
something  to  propose  to  him  ;  but  he  said  that  if  Chilunga 
Meso  liked  to  come  to  him  after  the  palaver,  he  would  be 
glad  to  see  him,  and  to  confer  with  him.  He,  moreover, 
promised  to  send  his  son  to  Luluaburg  to  meet  Chilunga 
Meso  and  to  conduct  him  thence  to  Kashia-Calemba.  This 
brought  our  business  to  an  end,  and  having  inspected  the 
house  occupied  some  years  previously  by  Dr.  Pogg^  and 
Lieut.  Wissmann,  we  took  leave  of  Calemba  and  returned 
to  Luluaburg. 


Air 


BENI-NDUilBA. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Chilunga  Meso  and  his  visions — The  burning  brandy — Senhor  Caxavalla — His  friendsiiifj 
with  Chilunga  Meso — Kasongo  and  the  embassy  from  Ulungu — My  return  to  Luebo 
— General  description  of  the  route — Duniba — Landslip — Beni-Muamba — Midnight 
alarm  and  Liiiio's  bravery — Silence  in  the  sunshine — Night  in  the  forest — Awkward 
situation  at  Beni-Kashia — Arrival  at  Luebo. 


Next  day  Chilunga  Meso  arrived.  This  most  extraordinary 
man  had  obtained  amongst  his  countrymen  a  reputation  of  a 
very  peculiar  nature.  As  a  politician  he  was  nothing.  His 
entire  want  of  interest  in  any  terrestrial  subject  whatever 
makes  it  simply  unaccountable  that  he  should  have  troubled 
himself  as  to  differences  with  Calemba :  ])robably  his  cir- 
cumstances were  more  potent  to  influence  his  conduct  than 
were  his  inclinations.     By  fortune  he  was  a  powerful  chief, 


ii8  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

by  nature  a  prophet  and  a  visionary.  I  made  it  my  business 
to  inquire  most  particularly  into  his  sayings  and  doings,  and 
I  discovered  that  if  he  imposed  upon  others,  he  certainly 
imposed  upon  himself,  and  that  whatever  else  he  might  be, 
he  was  scarcely  what  we  understand  by  the  term  "  clair- 
voyant." He  was  dreaded  by  the  natives,  partly  because  of 
his  frequent  violent  fits  and  his  extraordinary  trances,  but 
chiefly  in  consequence  of  his  predictions,  which,  if  the 
natives'  testimony  be  good  for  anything,  have  all,  or  nearly 
all,  been  fulfilled,  and  in  consequence  also  of  his  visions 
of,  and  communings  with  the  departed.  I  can  account 
upon  physical  grounds  for  his  fits,  his  trances,  and  his 
visions,  but  to  assign  a  cause  for  his  accurate  prediction 
of  the  future  transcends  my  skill.  Local  occurrences,  such 
as  petty  wars,  epidemics,  deaths,  have  been,  it  is  said,  fore- 
told by  him  :  in  my  own  experience  he  predicted  two  most 
unlikely  events,  and  his  predictions  were  strictly  verified  : 
let  those  define  the  sources  of  his  knowledge  who  know 
them ;  I  do  not.  This  strange  chief  was  accompanied  to 
Luluaburg  by  a  dozen  of  his  more  presentable  wives,  and 
about  150  followers,  fully  armed.  He  brought  with  him  a 
handsome  present,  and  was  no  doubt  prepared  to  make 
himself  most  agreeable  :  unhappily  for  such  intentions,  he 
was,  if  any  man  ever  was,  possessed  of  a  devil.  We  received 
him  in  the  dining  pavilion,  and  he  came  in  wearing  an  old 
shako,  a  Coldstream  Guard's  tunic,  and  a  loin-cloth  of  native 
manufacture,  his  legs  being  entirely  bare.  As  he  was  im- 
mensely tall  (some  6  feet  5  inches),  and  much  emaciated, 
his  appearance  would  have  been  indescribably  ludicrous  had 
it  not  been  for  the  expression  of  his  face  and  wild  steel-grey 


CHILUNGA  M ESQ'S  FRENZY.  119 

eyes.'"'  After  the  customary  greetings  he  seated  himself,  and 
began  to  converse,  when  a  sudden  rigor  seemed  to  seize 
and  stiffen  his  frame.  He  threw  his  arms  wildly  round,  and 
continued  to  utter  yelp  after  yelp — it  is  difficult  to  de- 
scribe the  cry.  His  spasms  and  outcries  died  away  only  to 
burst  out  with  renewed  frenzy,  and  he  ended  by  foaming 
at  the  mouth  in  a  fearful  and  disgusting  manner.  Three 
of  his  wives  promptly  held  him  down,  or  it  is  impossible 
to  say  what  might  have  happened.  In  about  ten  minutes 
he  recovered,  and  then  astonished  us  all  by  talking  most 
sensibly,  showing  himself  a  shrewd  enough  man,  wise,  and 
amenable  to  reason.  After  some  argument  and  considerable 
persuasion,  he  undertook  to  submit  to  Calemba,  and  to  make 
amends  for  any  injuries  that  he  had  done  or  could  be  held 
to  have  done  to  the  royal  prerogative,  but  he  took  occasion 
at  the  same  time  to  protest  that  he  made  these  concessions 
solely  on  Lieut.  Wissmann's  account,  and  for  peace'  sake. 
For  he  maintained  that  although  his  relations  with  the  world 
unseen  unfitted  him  in  great  measure  for  wielding  the  regal 
])ower,  yet,  inasmuch  as  he  was  the  recognised  head  of  the 
ancient  reigning  dynasty  of  the  Bashilange,  he  had  a  better 
right  to  the  throne  than  had  Calemba,  whose  family  was 
comparatively  parvenu.  The  palaver  concluded  with  the 
presentation  of  some  handsome  gifts  to  Chilunga  Meso,  who 
appeared  altogether  much  pleased  with  his  reception.  As  he 
had  yielded  to  Calemba's  request  for  an  interview  at  Kashia- 
Calemba,  he  left  us  immediately  for  that  place  in  company 
with  the  king's  representative. 

*  Amongst  the  Bashilange  I  have  several  times  seen  people  with  steel-grey  eyes,  whicli 
are,  1  believe,  unknown  in  other  African  races. 


UNDER   THE  LONE  STAR. 


I  was  greatly  diverted  by  an  incident  occurring  during 
these  proceedings,  which  brought  out  more  than  one  trait 
of  the  eccentric  chief's  character.  Lieut.  Wissmann,  in 
order  to  astonish  Chilunga  Meso  and  his  suite,  filled  a 
small  glass  with  cognac,  lighted  it,  and  allowing  it  to  blaze 
for  a  minute,  blew  out  the  flame  and  drank  off  the  brandy. 
He  then  poured  out  a  glass  for  his  visitor,  and  having 
lighted  it,  handed  it  to  him  while  burning.  Fear,  wonder, 
and  curiosity  were  depicted  on  the  faces  of  wives  and  atten- 
dants as  they  watched  Chilunga  Meso,  who,  seeing  at  once 
that  he  might  venture  to  do  what  Lieut.  Wissmann  had 
already  done,  promptly  extinguished  the  flame  and  drained 
the  glass.  Then  looking  round  with  an  air  of  vast  supe- 
riority, the  chief  thus  addressed  his  people : — "  Now,  you 
see,  I  and  the  white  chief  are  brothers ;  what  he  drinks  I 
drink — we  are  one.  But  you — should  any  of  you  dare  to 
touch  this  fetish  drink,  it  will  instantly  destroy  you,  and 
I  warn  you,  dream  not  of  copying  my  courage.  You  well 
know  that  I  am  told  your  very  thoughts,  and  should  you 
even  think  of  doing  this — well,  I  will  be  much  more  than 
the  death  of  any  one  of  you." 

The  head-interpreter  of  Lieut.  Wissmann's  expedition, 
Senhor  Manoel  Caxavalla  Silva  da  Costa,  an  Angolese  gentle- 
man of  Dondo,  whose  acquaintance  I  had  the  pleasure  to 
make  during  my  visit  to  Luluaburg,  had  had  some  amusing, 
and  indeed  extraordinary,  experiences  with  Chilunga  Meso, 
which  he  was  so  good  as  to  detail  to  me.  I  use  the  word 
"  gentleman  "  advisedly  in  speaking  of  this  estimable  man,  for 
such  he  was,  and  as  such  he  was  thoroughly  respected  by  all 
who  knew  him,  alike  for  his  intelligence,  his  solid  education. 


SENHOR  CAXAVALLA.  121 

and  vast  knowledge  of  African  languages,  as  well  as  for 
his  sound  sense,  kindly  humour,  benevolence,  and  courtesy. 
When  one  thinks  of  the  enormous  influence  lying  in  an 
interpreter's  hands,  the  momentous  issues  which  may  hang 
upon  the  slightest  turn  given  by  him  to  a  few  brief  sentences, 
the  happiness,  the  welfare,  the  lives  hourly  affected  by  his 
skill  and  judgment,  some  estimate  of  the  responsibilities  of 
his  office  may  be  formed.  It  is  high  praise,  therefore,  to  say 
that  it  would  be  impossible  to  imagine  a  man  better  fitted 
for  the  position  than  Senhor  Caxavalla.  From  what  he  told 
me  it  appeared  that  Chilunga  Meso  had  recognised  in  him — 
the  man  of  many  tongues — a  spirit  of  divination  kindred  to 
his  own,  and  he  was  accordingly  instant  in  his  requests  that 
the  interpreter  would  attend  his  seances,  and  assist  at  explain- 
ing his  trance  revelations  and  other  communications  from 
the  spirits  of  departed  friends.  When  their  novelty  had  worn 
ofi",  these  proceedings  became  somewhat  irksome  to  Senhor 
Caxavalla,  and  the  distance  of  Chilunga  Meso's  place  from 
Luluaburg,  as  well  as  the  frequency  of  the  seaiices,  made  the 
demands  upon  his  time  so  serious  that  he  was  gravely  fear- 
ing complications  with  Ilerr  Bugslag  unless  he  could  con- 
trive to  curtail  the  number  and  duration  of  his  absences 
from  the  station.  When  considering  how  this  might  be 
eff*ected  without  off"ence,  Senhor  Caxavalla  chanced  to  notice 
a  lofty  islet  of  rock  rising  out  of  the  Luhia,  where  the  river 
swirled  and  eddied  towards  some  rapids  in  its  course,  and  it 
occurred  to  him  that  could  Chilunga  Meso  only  be  prevailed 
upon  to  betake  himself  to  some  such  solitude,  and  there 
engage  in  imaginary  intercourse  with  visionary  beings,  things 
in  general  would  be  a  great  deal  better  for  many  souls  more 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


mundane.'"'  Accordingly  he  lost  no  time  in  representing  to 
the  seer  that  in  the  coming  life  the  lot  of  that  man  would 
be  lowly  and  his  light  obscure  who  had  not  here  devoted  time 
to  solitary  contemplation.  This  statement  led  to  explanations, 
and  of  course  the  mention  of  the  isolated  rock,  whither  Senhor 
Caxavalla  pretended  that  it  had  been  his  own  practice  periodi- 
cally to  retire.  He  alleged  that  it  was  as  Bethel,  a  spot  speci- 
ally favoured  by  visits  of  immortals ;  and  as  Pisgah,  a  height 
from  which  visions  of  a  promised  country  might  be  gained 
beyond  the  troubled  flood  of  death.  Chilunga  Meso,  much 
interested  by  this  story,  and  anxious  to  participate  in  the 
visionary  advantages  set  before  him,  begged  to  be  taken  to 
the  islet,  a  desire  which  Senhor  Caxavalla,  as  may  be  guessed, 
most  readily  promised  to  gratify,  informing  his  neophyte, 
however,  that  his  installation  as  hermit  of  the  rock  would 
have  to  be  a  solemn  and  carefully  performed  ceremony.  To 
this  end  Senhor  Caxavalla  prepared  "  a  cloak  of  religion  " 
that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  priest  of  Isis ;  a  circular 
chasuble  of  the  most  ample  mediaeval  proportions,  manu- 
factured from  a  partially  worn-out  cotton  sheet.  This  he 
presented  to  the  chief,  together  with  a  number  of  charms 
and  sapheen,  including  a  crucifix  (of  all  things !),  which 
were  to  be  suspended  round  the  neck.  On  the  appointed 
day  the  seer  and  his  instructor  arrived  just  before  sunrise  at 
the  islet  in  a  canoe.  Senhor  Caxavalla,  solidly  standing  at  the 
water-level,  produced  a  book  of  Roman  Catholic  devotions, 
from  which,  making  a  random  selection,  he  gabbled  over  a 
multitude    of  Latin   and   Portuguese   words   and   sentences, 

*  For  the  circumstance  that  probably  suggested  this  idea  to  Senhor  Caxavalla,  see 
Appendix  J. 


DON  QUIXOTE  AND  SANCHO  PANZA.  123 

the  while  Chilunga  Meso,  lean  and  scraggy,  clothed  in  his 
cloak,  and  decorated  with  the  mystic  charms,  mounted  to 
the  highest  pinnacle  of  the  rock.  It  is  wonderful  to  me 
that  the  chief  never  suspected  the  impossibility  of  so  hugely 
stout  a  man  as  the  interpreter  climbing  in  safety  up  and 
down  so  steep  and  slippery  a  place  as  the  rocky  islet,  but 
certain  it  is  that  he  did  not,  and  that  ever  after  Chilunga 
Meso  would  retire  to  its  solitude,  sometimes  for  days  to- 
gether, believing  that  his  experiences  were  deeper  and  his 
spiritual  vision  more  clear  upon  that  favoured  islet  than  in 
his  home  amidst  the  lives  of  other  men. 

Thinking  of  this  particular  companionship  of  beings 
so  utterly  dissimilar,  a  companionship  produced  neither  by 
community  of  aims  nor  interests,  still  less  by  common 
participation  in  any  of  those  deeper  sympathies  and  soul- 
trying  realities  that  make  of  mortals  entirely  opposite  in 
outward  nature  an  almost  perfect  unity,  an  immortal  har- 
mony, as  of 

"  Two  notes  of  music. 
Made  for  each  other  though  dissimilar," 

but  by  the  force  of  circumstance  alone,  I  am  always 
reminded  of  Don  Quixote  and  his  servant  Sancho  Panza. 
The  reference  may  not  be  quite  complimentary  to  Senhor 
Caxavalla  perhaps,  but  it  is  sufficiently  just  if  we  remember 
the  maxim  that  an  analogy  must  not  be  pressed. 

When  Chilunga  Meso  came  to  Luluaburg,  he  had  in  his 
company  a  number  of  Balungu,  avIio,  travelling  under  the 
leadership  of  a  chief  named  Kasongo,  had  come  on  an 
embassy  to   Lieut.    Wissmann.    with   the   view   of   inducing 


124 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


him  to  promote  the  establishment  of  a  station  of  the  Free 
State  in  their  country.  They  had  journeyed  from  an 
immense  distance,  and  through  many  and  great  perils, 
bringing  with  them  a  rich  present  of  ivory,  and  a  commen- 
datory letter  from  Commander  Cameron,  who  in  his  great 
journey  "  Across  Africa  "  had  passed  through  Ulungu,  and 
being  pleased  with  the  be- 
haviour of  its  inhabitants, 
had  thus  testified  his  satis- 
faction in  writing.  It  was 
not  possible  for  their 
wishes  to  be  gratified,  for 
their  country,  lying  on  the 
southern  shores  of  Lake 
Tanganyika,  although 
within  the  limits  of  the 
Free  Trade  area,  is  not  only 
beyond  the  boundaries  of 
the  Congo  State,  but  is 
separated  from  the  nearest 
station  by  hundreds  of 
miles  of  unexplored  coun- 
try, inhabited  by  savage 
and  predatory  races.     The 

utmost,  therefore,  that  Lieut.  Wissmann  could  undertake  was 
to  visit  Ulungu,  and  endeavour  on  the  spot  to  ascertain 
what  might  be  done  towards  bringing  that  country  into  com- 
munication with  the  civilising  influences  of  the  State — a 
promise  he  faithfully  attempted  to  perform. 

Amongst  the  native  population  in  and  around  Ijuluaburg 


''%'% 


KASONGO— A  PORTRAIT. 


ANGOLESE  AT  LULUABURG. 


125 


a  number  of  African  tribes  were  represented  besides  those 
types  of  form,  feature,  and  fashion  to  which  one  was  more 
commonly  accustomed.  The  Angolese  soldiers  (Ambakistas) 
looked  very  smart  indeed  in  the  red  and  white  uniform 
of  the  German  expedition,  especially  as  contrasted  with 
the  sombre  blue  dress  of  our  Luebo  Zanzibaris  ;  and  there 
Avere  Angolese  women  of  the 
better  class,  some  of  whom 
Avere  far  from  unattractive 
in  appearance.  The  general 
bustle  and  life  of  the  station, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  agree- 
able companionship  of  the 
Europeans,  made  me  regret 
the  approach  of  the  day  on 
which  I  must  bid  farewell 
to  my  friends  and  return  to 
my  lonely  life  amongst  the 
dark  forests  at  Luebo. 

My  journey  was  by  the 
same  road  as  that  by  which 
we  had  come  to  Luluaburg, 
and  as  I  was  unfettered  as  to 
time,  and  without  European 

companions,  I  had  an  excellent  opportunity  for  making  an 
exact  survey  of  the  route  from  the  ]\Iiaw  to  the  Luebo. 
The  results  of  that  survey  may  be  summarised  thus  : — • 
The  whole  district  traversed  lies  within  the  basin  of  the 
Lulua,  and  upon  the  left  bank  of  that  river ;  all  the  streams 
crossed  being  its  tributaries  or  their  affluents.     After  leaving 


SENHORA  CAXAVALLA— A  PORTRAIT. 


126  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

the  Miaw  basin,  which  it  crosses,  the  road  ascends  the 
Kalambai  valley,  first  crossing  it.  Thereafter  a  stream  flow- 
ing independently  to  the  Lulua  is  crossed,  and  the  road 
again  traverses  a  small  portion  of  the  npper  drainage  area 
of  the  Miaw,  whence  it  ascends  to  a  lofty  tableland  divid- 
ing the  basin  of  that  river  from  the  Musisi  valley,  which 
it  next  gradually  descends,  and  finally  crosses.  Leaving 
the  Musisi,  the  road,  making  a  considerable  detour,  crosses 
two  small  streams  discharging  themselves  unitedly,  or  very 
near  each  other,  into  the  Lulua,  and  finally  enters  the 
Luebo  valley,  which  it  gradually  descends,  until  that  stream 
is  reached,  where,  at  the  station,  it  forms  its  junction  with 
the  Lulua.  I  was  supposed  to  be  carried  in  a  hammock — 
for  bullocks  will  not  live  at  Luebo — but  I  was  very  little 
trouble  to  my  bearers,  as  I  generally  preferred  walking.  The 
details  of  my  survey  and  the  incidents  of  my  journey  are 
as  follows  : — 

From  the  Miaw  the  road,  going  N.W.,  crosses  the  narrow 
watershed  dividing  the  basin  of  that  tributary  of  the  Lulua 
from  its  next  neighbour,  which,  in  default  of  a  more  exact 
name,  I  may  call  the  Kalambai  stream.  After  leaving  the 
Miaw,  crossing  a  brook  running  into  it,  and  going  through 
open  grass-land,  the  first  small  tributary  of  the  Kalambai  is 
reached,  at  a  distance  of  two  miles  from  the  Miaw.  Another 
mile  and  a  half  of  up  and  down  grass-land  brings  us  to  the 
second  affluent  of  the  Kalambai,  which  being  crossed,  we 
come  two  miles  farther  on  to  the  main  stream,  at  this  point 
making  a  semicircular  bend,  ^flowing  from  N.E.  to  N.E., 
within  which  stands  the  town  of  Kalambai. 

We  crossed  the  river,  here,  as  elsewhere,  flowing  rapidly 


BENI-NDUMBA.  127 


over  a  gravelly  and  rocky  bottom,  between  precipitous  banks 
sparsely  wooded,  and  reached  the  town,  where  we  found  food 
of  all  kinds  abundant  and  cheap.  This  being  a  great  place 
for  onions  (shalots),  I  procured  two  loads  of  them  for  plant- 
ing at  Luebo.  Crossing  the  peninsula,  one  mile  in  breadth, 
on  which  the  town  stands,  the  road  proceeds  in  north-half- 
easterly  direction  up  the  basin  drained  by  the  Kalamba'i, 
though  keeping  mainly  upon  the  higher  ground.  It  crosses 
the  stream  again  about  four  miles  above  the  town,  then  turns 
N.N.W.  for  2^  miles,  where  it  again  crosses  the  stream, 
which  here  takes  a  sharp  turn,  forming  a  semicircle,  half  a 
mile  being  the  chord  of  the  diameter.  Again  crossing  the 
river,  the  road  turns  due  north  for  2^  miles,  where  thickly 
wooded  swampy  ground  is  reached,  and  the  stream  crossed 
for  the  last  time. 

From  this  point  the  road,  now  trending  N.W.,  gradually 
ascends  over  fine  prairie  land  for  some  ten  miles,  when 
Chinyama  is  reached,  from  which  place  the  land  slopes 
rapidly  to  the  S.S.W.  In  this  section  of  the  road  the  water- 
shed of  the  Kalambai  is  crossed,  and  200  yards  beyond  Chin- 
yama town  we  come  to  the  next  affluent  of  the  Lulua. 

This  is  a  deep  and  swift  stream,  running,  at  the  point  at 
which  the  road  crosses  it,  in  a  north-north-easterly  direction. 
The  descent  to  the  water  is  on  both  sides  considerable,  steep, 
and  slightly  wooded.  For  2^  miles  west  by  half  south  from 
this  river  the  ground  gradually  rises  to  Beni-Ndumba,  J  mile 
beyond  which  place  due  west  the  road  goes  over  a  swamp 
for  about  400  yards.  Ndumba  town  is  a  poor  place  indeed, 
and  rather  a  sad  example  of  the  state  to  which  an  unlimited 
use  of  Ihiamba  may  bring  a  small  community.     Beyond  the 


128  UNDER   THE  LONE  STAR. 

swamp  the  road,  going  N.  by  W,,  ascends  a  steep  and  barren 
hill,  when  the  level  of  a  grassy  plateau  is  reached.  From 
this  plain  fine  view^s  are  obtained  in  every  direction,  and  at 
about  half  its  length  (3J  miles)  the  road  passes  along  a 
narrow  neck  between  two  great  landslips,  one  on  either  side 
of  the  plateau :  their  depth  might  be  300  feet,  and  the  fall 
quite  precipitous.  The  direction  of  the  landslip  is  towards 
N.E.  and  S.W.  All  this  part  of  the  country  would,  so  far 
as  I  can  see,  answer  magnificently  for  cattle-raising :  there 
is  neither  tsetse  nor  the  hurtful  spear-grass  so  destructive 
to  herbivorous  animals.  From  the  N.W.  extremity  of  the 
plateau  the  road,  descending  slightly,  turns  for  4J  miles  N. 
by  E.,  when  we  come  to  a  deserted  town  beside  a  stream  : 
the  former  being  surrounded,  the  latter  fringed,  with  wood. 

This  stream  runs  towards  the  south-west,  probably  to  the 
Miaw,  into  which  drainage  area  we  must  thus  have  again 
descended  on  leaving  the  plateau.  Leaving  the  river,  the 
road  goes  W.  by  N.  for  2^  miles,  and  thereafter  due  north 
for  four  miles,  the  ground  rising  rapidly  until  the  level  of 
another  fine  plateau  is  gained.  Here  we  are  crossing  into 
the  area  drained  by  the  Musisi,  which  rises  presumably 
among  a  range  of  low  hills  running  S.W.  and  N.E.,  visible 
across  the  wide  depression  forming  the  basin  of  that  river. 
From  this  point  the  road  turns  in  a  north-westerly  direc- 
tion, gradually  and  continuously  rising  for  3|-  miles  over 
grassy  uplands  until  Beni-Muamba  is  reached.  As  the  road 
approaches  this  town  it  skirts  for  some  distance  the  edge 
of  a  vast  landslip  where  the  plateau  has  given  w^ay  on  its 
western  side,  falling  into  the  lower  grounds  of  the  valley,  a 
depth  of  not  less  than  400  feet.     Up  to  this  point  my  journey 


LVXIiSUr  iT   BEyi-JfTAMSJ 


BENI-MUAMBA. 


1 29 


had  been  entirely  uneventful,  but  arriving  at  Beni-Muamba 
at  1 1.40  A.M.  on  the  2  ist,  I  found  the  place  in  great  excitement 
owing  to  the  recent  ravages  of  some  wild  beast  of  unascer- 
tained species  that  was  haunting  the  vicinity.  Consequently 
my  men  could  not  sleep  in  the  open,  and  other  precautions 
had  to  be  taken.  In  the  afternoon  I  went  down  and  sketched 
part  of  the  nearest  and  most  recent  landslip — not  a  beautiful 
subject,  indeed,  however  curious — and  on  returning  to  camp, 
I  found  the  chief  Mukanu  anxious  that  I  should  see  his 
wife,  who,  he  said,  was  very  sick.  I  found  the  poor  woman 
suffering  from  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  and  prescribed 
such  simple  treatment  as  the  circumstances  permitted.  (She 
subsequently  recovered,  and  showed  a  very  grateful  sense 
of  the  brief  attention  I  had  been  able  to  give  her.)  During 
the  night  there  was  a  terrible  outcry,  and  on  going  out  to 
inquire  the  cause,  I  was  told  that  a  lion  (?)  had  just  sprung 
into  a  hut  where  a  number  of  people  were  sleeping  and  had 
seized  a  boy  by  the  wrist,  but  that  upon  the  others  shouting 
out  he  had  relinquished  his  prey  and  fled.  I  went  immedi- 
ately to  the  hut,  and  found  that  the  poor  lad's  hand  had  been 
fearfully  mangled.  Luckily,  as  I  had  my  case  of  instruments 
with  me,  and  also  a  supply  of  caustic,  I  was  able  to  dress 
and  trim  his  wounds  properly ;  otherwise,  I  am  afraid  the 
lad's  life  would  have  been  sacrificed.  On  making  a  search, 
we  found  the  footmarks  of  a  very  large  beast,  whether  a 
huge  leopard  or  a  lion  I  cannot  say.  Thinking  that  the 
brute  might  possibly  return,  I  took  my  rifle  and  waited  about 
for  him,  but  though  during  a  vigil  of  some  three  hours' 
duration    I    heard    several    growls    and   similar  noises   from 

the  long  grass  and   neighbouring  wood,   I  saw  nothing   of 

I 


I30  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

him.  Limo,  oTir  caravan  leader,  an  Angolese,  volunteering 
to  bear  me  company,  remained  by  me  for  some  time.  Never 
could  any  man  boast  more  of  his  valour  and  deeds  of  daring, 
or  promise  more  bravely  what  great  things  he  would  do 
should  the  enemy  present  himself,  when,  suddenly,  a  loud 
harsh  growl  was  borne  to  our  ears,  and  poor  Limo  instantly 
collapsed  :  he  rushed  into  his  hut,  and  barricaded  the  door, 
which  nothing  could  induce  him  to  open  until  daylight 
dispersed  his  terrors,  not  much  more  than  an  hour  before 
we  resumed  our  journey  at  7  a.m.  on  the  22nd. 

Leaving  this  village,  the  road  takes  a  north-north-west 
and  a  half  northerly  direction,  and  leads  along  the  high 
grassy  plains  parallel  with  the  Musisi  (which  is  here  flowing 
deep  down  in  its  densely  wooded  ravine  some  seven  miles 
distant  on  our  left),  until,  8|  miles  from  Beni-Muamba,  the 
Luisi  is  reached. 

This  small  river,  an  affluent  of  the  Musisi,  flows  swiftly 
from  the  east  towards  that  river  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep 
and  thickly  wooded  gorge,  a  descent  of  between  600  and 
700  feet.  Crossing  this  depression,  and  rising  to  about  the 
same  height,  the  road,  holding  a  north-westerly  course,  passes 
a  deserted  town  and  plantations  in  the  open  grassy  country 
(which  is  here  somewhat  diversified  by  belts  of  jungle  of 
varying  width),  and  arrives  above  the  Musisi  at  a  distance 
of  twelve  miles  from  the  last  stream  crossed.  The  descent  to 
the  Musisi  has  been  already  described  :  all  I  have  now  to 
add  is  connected  with  my  experience  of  the  forest  on  its 
left  bank  as  a  camping-ground. 

Having  crossed  the  river,   we  camped  for  the  night  near 
to  the  treeless  grassy  uplands  indeed,  but  well  within  the 


NIGHT  IN  THE  FOREST. 


overarching  wood,  and  at  a  height  of  several  hundred  feet 
above  the  water.  In  this  region,  save  just  at  sunrise  and 
before  sunset,  when  nearly  all  the  birds  salute  in  noisy 
chorus  the  rising  and  the  setting  sun,  the  hours  of  daylight 
are  the  hours  of  silence.  The  sun,  truly  the  most  glorious 
emblem  of  omnipotence,  makes  the  round  tropic  world  his 
temple,  and  by  his  all-penetrating  power  compels  to  silence 
those  that  dwell  within  his  presence  ;  but  when  that  presence 
is  withdrawn,  the  animal  creation  wakes  from  its  day-long 
constraint,  and  in  a  thousand  ways  tells  forth  its  gladness 
and  content.  Thns,  whether  you  camp  within  the  forest 
or  on  the  open  plain,  yon  have  a  ceaseless  concert  of  strange 
sounds  on  throngh  the  hours  of  darkness,  till  the  jungle- 
cock,  fully  two  hours  before  the  other  birds  awake,  the 
earliest  herald  of  approaching  day,  proclaims  the  silence 
that  precedes  the  dawn.  In  crossing  the  river.  I  had  ob- 
served that  the  spoor  of  buffalo  and  other  game  were  deeply 
marked  beside  the  ford,  and  determined,  after  camp  was 
pitched  and  I  had  dined,  to  take  my  rifle,  and  ensconcing 
myself  behind  a  sheltering  bush,  be  ready  for  a  shot,  should 
any  of  the  herd  come  by  to  drink.  Accordingly,  when  night 
set  in,  the  head-bearer  going  with  me,  I  betook  myself 
to  the  place  of  ambush.  We  clambered  down  through  the 
thick  tangle  of  the  forest,  where  the  long  lianas  of  the  dark- 
leaved  india-rubber  vines  festooned  the  bright  red  cliffs ; 
down  through  the  thickets,  where  the  delicate  fresh  green 
trails  of  creeping  bamboo  wreathed  into  almost  impenetrable 
masses  the  creamy-flowered  and  jasmine-scented  shrubs,  all 
tints  and  colours  blurred  alike  within  the  deepening  gloom  ; 
down  farther  still  into  the  darkness,  where,  above  the  trees 


132  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


that  overarch  the  steep  descent,  the  lovely  lace-like  orchilla 
weed  spreads  far  her  flowery  veil ;  down  almost  to  the  mur- 
muring  river's  edge,  where,  amid  a  clump  of  thorn-studded 
acacia,  we  had  our  ambush  laid :  a  bush  before  us  and 
a  hastily  constructed  fence  behind.  When  we  began  our 
watch,  the  myriad-voiced  cicada  and  the  croaking  bull-frogs 
were  in  wildest  chorus.  Soon  as  the  darkness  deepened 
into  night,  the  frequent  hoot  of  owls  was  heard  on  all  sides, 
followed  by  the  plaintive  whistle  of  the  night-plover,  the 
prolonged  birr  of  the  goat-sucker,  so  weird  in  its  ventri- 
loquial  effect,  and  the  booming  of  the  bittern  beside  the 
stretches  of  still  water  underneath  the  fern-fringed  hollowed 
banks.  As  w^e  watched  and  waited  for  the  buffalo,  great 
bats  came  flitting  overhead,  the  smart  snapping  of  their 
teeth  and  their  shrill  mouse-like  cries  betraying  what  the 
noiseless  movement  of  their  wings  concealed — their  presence. 
Suddenly  a  wild  scream  strikes  through  the  many  voices  of 
the  night :  it  is  repeated  again  and  again  as  it  comes  nearer  ; 
— the  cry  of  the  fierce  mbaku  swinging  himself  from  branch 
to  branch  in  search  of  prey.  And  now,  just  overhead,  once 
more  that  hideous  shriek  rings  out  triumphantly  above  the 
frantic  chatter  of  a  luckless  colony  of  apes,  for  the  mbaku 
is  upon  them,  and  their  only  safety  lies  in  flight.  At  last, 
far  off,  we  hear  the  buffalo,  at  first  a  distant  lowing,  and,  as 
they  near  our  ambush,  now  and  then  a  crash,  as  the  herd 
force  their  way  through  the  thick  undergrowth  towards 
the  water.  But  we  wait  and  wait  in  vain  :  they  are  not 
coming  to  the  ford,  but  are  already  going  off"  by  other 
brakes  and  openings  farther  up  the  stream.  It  would 
be  worse  than  madness  to  attempt  to  follow   in   the  dense 


FROM  THE  MUSI  SI  TO  THE  LUEBO.  133 


and  trackless  wood,  and  so  we  seek  our  camp,  climbing 
the  steep  rough  path  from  out  the  darkness  of  the  gorge. 
Just  as  we  gain  the  safe  circle  of  our  fires,  the  rising  moon 
breaks  through  the  forest  glades,  and  pours  a  silvery  flood 
of  light  around  us.  Immediately  the  bull-frogs  and  the  all- 
pervading  chirrup  of  the  crickets  hush,  while  other  sounds 
more  distant  reach  our  ears,  borne  from  the  prairie  on  the 
cool  faint  breeze  :  the  answering  cries  of  jackals,  the  hateful 
laugh  of  the  cruel  hyena,  and  now  and  then  the  mournful 
call  of  the  spur-winged  plover,  silent  in  the  dark. 

Leaving  the  Musisi,  the  road  almost  reverses  its  direction, 
which,  hitherto  N.N.AV.,  is  now  south-westerly,  and  pro- 
ceeds for  7^  miles  through  magnificent  forest  until  a  small 
stream  is  reached,  which,  like  the  Musisi  and  its  affluent,  flows 
at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  and  wooded  gorge.  The  direction 
of  this  stream  is  due  north,  and  as  it  finds  its  way  to  the 
Lulua  either  independently  or  in  conjunction  with  the  stream 
next  to  be  mentioned,  this  section  of  the  road  has  thus 
brought  us  out  of  the  area  drained  by  the  Musisi. 

From  this  river  the  road  turns  for  i^^  miles  W.  by  S.,  and 
then  suddenly  changes  its  direction  to  N.N.W.,  going  across 
a  high  plain  for  i^  miles,  at  which  distance  another  stream 
is  reached,  also  deeply  embosomed  in  a  forest-covered  ravine. 

Crossing  this  river,  the  road  next  leads  N.  by  W.  half 
W.  for  4f  miles,  of  which  distance  2^  miles  are  dense 
forest.  Thence  inclining  N.W.  by  W.  for  a  distance  of 
seven  miles,  the  road  brings  us  over  grassy  plains,  from 
which  towards  the  S.S.AV.  rise  low  hills  more  or  less  clothed 
with  forest,  into  the  basin  of  the  Lucbo.  On  our  left  we 
look  down  into  the  densely  wooded  valley,  and  skirting  the 


1 34 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


landslip  which  I  had  observed  in  my  journey  to  Lulua- 
burg,  we  come  to  Beni-Kashia.  At  this  place  I  had  now  a 
somewhat  unpleasant  duty  to  perform,   which  lack  of   time 


LIANAS  AT  BENI-KASHIA. 


alone  had  prevented  our  discharging  previously.  Consider- 
ing its  strategical  importance,  its  pastoral  advantages,  and 
its  command  of  the  land  approach   to  Luebo,  it  would,  in 


CHIKABO  OF  BENI-KASHIA.  135 


auy  case,  be  highly  desirable  for  the  welfare  of  the  station 
that  Beni-Kashia  should  be  in  friendly  hands ;  as  long  as 
the  Luluaburg  road,  pursuing  its  present  circuitous  route, 
passes  the  village,  an  entente  cordiale  with  its  occupants  is  a 
necessity.  Unhappily,  the  chief,  Chikabo,  was  anything  but 
a  friend,  except  in  word  and  outward  show.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  he  was  a  churl,  and  had  been  behaving  with  unprovoked 
hostility  towards  our  people.  He  had  in  the  first  instance 
declined  upon  any  terms  to  undertake  the  grazing  of  my 
goats  and  sheep,  thereby  causing  us  very  great  inconvenience  ; 
and  when  that  question  had  been  submitted  to  him,  had 
seized  the  opportunity  of  my  representative's  presence  to 
make  certain  disparaging  remarks  as  to  the  order  and 
government  established  at  the  station.  Subsequently  he 
refused  to  allow  our  messengers  to  and  from  Luluaburg  to 
purchase  food  at  his  village,  and  had,  in  every  possible  way, 
done  his  utmost  to  nullify  the  civilising  influences  lately 
introduced  into  his  neighbourhood.  I  had  therefore  to 
interview  the  chief  upon  this  subject,  and  while  our  camp 
was  being  pitched,  I  gave  him  distinctly  to  understand  that 
it  was  due  to  my  reluctance  alone  to  adopt  extreme  measures 
that  his  conduct  had  not  been  reported  to  Calemba,  and  I 
concluded  by  assuring  him  that  if  he  did  not  at  once  change 
his  policy  he  might  expect  very  serious  consequences  indeed. 
I  had  not  long  returned  to  my  camping-place  when  a 
thunderstorm  that  had  been  brewing  all  day  burst  suddenly 
right  over  our  heads.  The  lightning  struck  a  hut  in  the 
village,  setting  it  on  fire,  and  nearly  killing  a  man  who 
chanced  to  be  within.  On  hearing  of  this,  I  went  at  once 
to  the  place  where  the  poor  fellow  had  been  laid,  and  en- 


136  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

cleavoiired  to  restore  him  to  consciousness.  As  nothing  of 
a  fatal  character  is  ever  held  in  Africa  to  happen  ex  ordine 
natiirce,  the  catastrophe  was  instantly  ascribed,  and  that  as  a 
matter  of  course,  to  my  magic  agency  and  skill.  In  my  haste 
I  had  overlooked  this  contingency,  or  I  should  not  have 
placed  myself  in  the  power  of  so  vindictive  and  savage  a 
gang  as  that  by  which  I  now  found  myself  surrounded.  I 
saw  that  the  people  were  eyeing  me  with  looks  of  anger  and 
suspicion,  and,  without  appearing  to  do  so,  I  watched  them 
arming  themselves  and  stringing  their  bows.  Perhaps  it 
was  for  the  best,  but  at  the  time  I  could  not  help  most 
ardently  wishing  that  I  had  not  left  all  my  arms  in  the 
tent,  nor  ventured  thus  alone  into  the  village.  Luckily  the 
restoratives  I  had  applied  speedily  availed  to  reanimate  the 
injured  man,  and  before  the  wretches  had  made  up  their 
minds  to  despatch  me,  or  possibly  before  they  were  quite 
ready  for  the  deed,  I  turned,  and  looking  deliberately  upon 
them,  Malked  out  of  their  village  with  as  nonchalant  an  air 
as  I  could  assume.  More  than  one  savage  I  saw  fix  his 
arrow  to  the  bowstring,  and  as  I  strode  back  to  my  tent, 
leaving  the  scowling  crowd  behind  me,  I  felt  that  any 
moment  might  bring  my  death-blow,  and  that  the  crisis  of 
my  life  was  come.  Each  second  seemed  an  age,  and  when  I 
regained  the  shelter  of  my  tent,  I  had  a  momentary  feeling 
as  if  years  had  gone  since  I  left  it.  But  it  was  no  time  for 
indulging  thoughts  or  feelings  ;  immediate  action  would,  I 
knew,  be  requisite  if  an  appeal  to  arms  was  to  be  avoided. 
Accordingly  I  sent  Limo — he  was  less  afraid,  I  fancy,  of 
the  Chiplumba  than  of  lions — to  inform  Chikabo  and  his 
people   that  unless  they   should   instantly  disarm,   and   pro- 


THE  POWER  OF  MAGIC. 


137 


mise  to  behave  with  more  amicability,  I  would  call  back 
the  thunderstorm  and  utterly  destroy  them  and  their  town. 
This  preposterous  message  had  the  desired  effect :  we  were 


TEViv^  {GoHiniphim). 


kf^ 


suffered  to  remain  unmolested  during  the  night,  and  to 
continue  our  march  at  7  a.m.  on  the  24th  Avithout  further 
adventure  of  any  kind. 


138  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


Leaving  Beni-Kashia.  the  road  goes  N.W.  for  2^  miles 
across  the  open  plain.  Then  a  belt  of  forest  is  reached, 
which  the  road,  still  going  N.W.,  crosses  for  1^  miles.  Next 
a  small  grassy  plain  three-quarters  of  a  mile  broad  is  passed, 
after  which  we  again  come  to  the  forest,  and  going  through 
it  N.W.  by  N.  for  two  miles,  we  reach  a  small  stream  flowing 
W.  to  the  Luebo,  into  which  all  the  rivulets  that  are  subse- 
quently crossed  between  this  and  the  station  likewise  drain. 

At  this  point  the  road  takes  another  direction.  It  now 
trends  N.E.  by  N.,  crossing  a  small  plain  three-quarters  of 
a  mile  broad,  and  thereafter  a  narrow  belt  of  jungle  rather 
less  in  width.  Next  going  N.E.  by  E.,  we  cross  another 
plain  i^  miles  broad,  and  then  enter  the  dense  and  uninter- 
rupted forest,  through  which  the  road  gradually  descends 
for  1 3f  miles  in  a  general  direction  of  N.E.  by  E.  half  E., 
until  we  emerge  once  more  into  the  dazzling  sunlight  and 
free  air  not  far  from  the  station  at  Luebo,  of  whose  proximity 
the  ceaseless  boom  of  falling  waters  echoing  for  miles  through 
the  moist  close  woods  has  forewarned  us. 


'A>?w 


BAKETE   CHIEFS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Senhor  Carvalho'.s  adniiiiistration  — The  plantations  and  our  crops^Misunderstauding  with 
the  Bakuba — Our  Bakcte  allies — Fireworks — Boat  accident  to  Baketo  hunters  on 
the  Luebo — Ingratitude — Luebo  Falls — Bakote  hunting-parties — Game  of  district — 
Slave-dealers. 


Luebo  was  altogether  much  as  we  had  left  it.  I  fouiid 
more  work  accomplished  in  tlie  way  of  clearing  and  prepar- 
ing for  our  plantations  than  I  had  anticipated.  Everything 
else  was  in  excellent  order,  and  I  felt  that  I  had  abundant 
cause  to  be  grateful  to  Senhor  Carvalho  for  his  painstaking 
management  during  my  absence.  Before  leaving  for  Lulua- 
burg  I  had  assigned  to  him  a  plot  of  ground  whereon  to 
build  huts  for  his  workmen  and  a  store  for  himself,  I  was 
now  glad  to  find  that,  for  all  practical  purposes,  the  worthy 
man — whom  I  had  learnt  entirely  to  dissociate  from  his 
partner — was    likely    to    be   a    fixture    at    our    station.      His 


I40  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

history  and  circumstances  appealed  in  many  ways  to  my 
sympathies,  while  he,  for  his  part,  was  not  unsympathetic 
with  us  :  he  was  thoroughly  our  well-wisher,  and  he  was 
fitted  by  long  intercourse  Avith  the  natives,  and  his  own 
bitter  experiences  of  the  hard  dealings  of  traders,  to  be  a 
trustworthy  adviser  in  many  a  difficulty.  Yet  in  respect  of 
one  matter,  occurring  soon  after  my  return,  I  always  thought 
that  had  Carvalho  chosen  to  enlighten  me  as  to  his  deal- 
ings with  our  Bakuba  neighbours  during  my  absence,  an 
unfortunate  misunderstanding  that  threatened  at  one  period 
to  originate  a  very  considerable  trouble  might  have  been 
avoided.  But  before  I  go  fully  into  that  story  I  must  turn 
to  what  was  engrossing  my  almost  undivided  attention  at 
this  time — I  mean  the  plantations. 

Unless  we  ^vere  to  continue  for  another  season  to  be 
dependent  upon  our  native  neighbours  for  such  supplies 
as  the  precarious  steam  communication  with  Leopoldville 
did  not  furnish,  our  clearings  must  be  finished,  the  ground 
tilled,  and  the  crops  sown  before  the  rains  should  set  in.* 
The  method  we  pursued  was  to  clear  away  the  jungle 
undergrowth  and  the  upper  branches  of  the  larger  trees 
with  axes,  and  then,  having  selected  and  removed  all  those 
straight  pieces  which  promised  to  be  useful  for  carpentry 
and  building  purposes,  we  piled  the  smaller  boughs  together 
in  heaps  round  the  trunks  w-e  wished  to  get  rid  of  without 
the  labour  of  felling  them,  and  set  fire  to  the  whole.  The 
roots  were  next  carefully  stubbed  up  and  burnt,  all  the 
ashes    being    evenly    spread    over   the    ground,   with   which 

*  Some  few  statistics  calculated  to  give  an  idea  oi  the  difference  between  the  seasons 
at  Luebo  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix  K. 


THE  PLANTATIONS  AT  LUEBO. 


141 


they  Avere  incorporated  by  u  thorough  hoeing,  ^^'e  then 
fenced  in  the  land,  and  parcelled  it  out  according  to  the 
nature    and    requirements    of   the    crops    we    intended     to 


MroNDii  {Sorghiim). 


iiTow.  Eventually  deei)  drains  made  of  broken  stone  were 
put  in,  but  not  until  after  we  had  reaped  our  first  harvest. 
Some  ten  acres  of  the  lowest  ground  next  the  river  were 
sown  with  Indian-corn,  slips  of  manioc  six  feet  apart  being 


142 


UaXDer  the  lone  star. 


put  in  at  the  same  time,  and  a  crop  of  yams  was  also  set 
in  this  part  of  the  plantations.  Another  ten  acres  at  a 
higher  level  was  planted  with  mtama  [Holcus  sorghum)  and 
hill-rice.     Besides  these  principal  crops  we  grew  a  number 

of  vegetables  and  es- 
culents, many  of  them 
for  my  own  especial 
use  :  onions,  cabbage, 
okras,  tomatos,  gourds, 
turnips,  lettuce,  en- 
dive, celery  (a  com- 
plete failure),  beans, 
some  pot-herbs,  beet- 
root (a  failure),  a  little 
cotton  and  sugar-cane. 
I  planted  also  an 
abundance  of  pine- 
apples and  grenadilhas, 
and  some  fruit  trees,  of 
which  more  anon.  I 
had  made  a  large  clear- 
ing in  the  jungle  at  a 
considerable  distance 
from  the  station,  on 
the  road  towards  Bcni- 
Kashia,  where  I  established  the  burial-ground,  and  also  a 
plantation  of  ground-nuts  ("  mpinda  ")  some  fifteen  acres  in 
extent. 

T  may  now  give  the  narrative  of  the  misunderstanding 
referred  to  above.     Senhor  Carvalho  complained  to   me  on 


MPINDE    NGUBA   {Arackix). 


A  DISQUIETING  RUMOUR.  143 


my  return  that  the  Bakuba  farther  down  the  river  had  become 
hostile,  that  they  had  been  vowing  all  manner  of  vengeance 
against  us,  and  he  attributed  an  importance  to  their  threats 
which  seemed  to  me  quite  unmerited, — an  opinion  wliicli  lii^ 
persistence   in   denying  that  he   had  had  any  quarrel  with 
them  tended  to  confirm.     Of  the   nature   of  the  Bakuba's 
feelings  towards  us  I  was  not.  however,  kept  long  in  doubt. 
Lieut.  Wissmann  having  given  me  instructions  to  make  a 
thorough  survey  of  the  Lulua  from  the  Luebo  to  the  Kasai, 
I  took  an  early  opportunity  of  going  down  the   stream  for 
the  purpose  of  beginning  this  business  from  near  the  Luebo 
end.     Senhor  Carvalho   was   to   bear  me   company,   but  on 
embarking  he  was  so  urgent  that  I  should  take  arms  for  the 
rowers,  that,  since  I  saw  no  reason  for  such  a  proceeding, 
I  suggested  his  remaining  behind.     This,  however,  he  refused 
to  do,  and  as  I  compromised  matters  by  taking  my  own  three 
rifles  and  an  ample  supply  of  ammunition,  his  courage  so 
far  revived   as   to   enable   him   to   profess  his  belief  in  the 
absence  of  real  danger,  a  belief  which  I  now  think  I  myself 
should  not  have  shared  had  I  only  known  as  miu-h  as  he 
could  have  told  me.     Having  gone  some  little  distance  and 
well  out  of  view  of  the  Luebo  mouth,  we  drew  near  a  land- 
ing-place   on    the    right    bank,   where  we    saw    a   crowd   of 
Bakete  beckoning  us  to  approach.     We  immediately  steered 
to    them,    and    learning    that    some    of    these    people     were 
bearing  fish   and  palm-wine   to   the    station    for    barter,    v^v 
relieved   them    of  their    loads    without   further    trouble    to 
themselves,    for,    when    practicable,    I    always    carried    witli 
me  a  stock  of  the  small  change  of  the  country,  viz.,  beads, 
cowries,  and  brass  rods.     The  Bakete  then  inquired  whether 


144  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

I  intended  going-  farther  down-stream,  and  on  hearing 
that  I  did,  endeavoured  to  dissuade  me,  alleging  that  the 
Bakuba  were  greatly  exasperated,  and  were  preparing  to 
attack  us  should  they  obtain  any  chance  of  doing  so  suc- 
cessfully. As  I  deemed  this  to  be  mere  idle  gossip,  I  con- 
tinued our  course  down  the  river  to  the  point  at  which 
I  had  determined  to  begin  the  survey.  We  had  not  gone 
far  from  the  Bakete,  and  were  still  keeping  to  the  same 
bank,  when  we  saw  a  Bakuba  chief  sitting  just  outside  a 
fishing-hut,  who  no  sooner  saw  us  than  he  gathered  up  his 
bow  and  arrows  and  made  off  into  the  jungle.  Wondering 
what  this  unwonted  conduct  might  portend,  I  ran  the  boat 
on  the  beach  and  jumped  out,  but  the  only  people  I  could 
see  were  two  men  on  a  large  partly  wooded  island  about 
ninety  yards  from  the  shore.  Thither  1  proposed  we  should 
immediately  go,  both  to  demonstrate  our  friendliness,  and  to 
ascertain  the  true  state  of  the  Bakuba  disposition  towards 
us  :  the  excuse  for  our  approach  being  the  purchase  of  fish. 
As  we  neared  the  island  the  men  raised  shouts  and  cries, 
which  were  speedily  echoed  from  the  jungle,  whence  almost 
immediately  a  number-  of  fully  armed  men  sprang  out.  I 
stood  up  in  the  boat,  brandishing  beads  and  brass  rods,  calling 
out  that  we  wanted  to  trade.  The  only  answer  was  a  flight 
of  arrows,  by  which  one  of  our  poor  fellows  in  the  bows  was 
severely  wounded.  We  replied  as  rapidly  as  we  could  with 
our  rifles,  and  four  of  the  enemy  went  down,  their  comrades 
taking  to  flight.  I  thereupon  deliberately  began  my  surveying 
operations,  tacking  from  side  to  side  of  the  river  for  the  sound- 
ing as  occasion  required.  Probably  onlookers  in  the  wood 
believed  we  were  occupied  in  setting  some  irresistible  fetish. 


OUR  BAKETE  ALLIES.  145 

destined  to  ruin  the  fisheries  or  destroy  their  arms.  On 
returning  to  the  station,  we  found  every  one  in  a  wikl  state 
of  excitement.  A  report  (which  had  lost  nothing  in  the 
telling)  of  what  had  occurred  having  long  preceded  us,  the 
Niapara  had  placed  the  Zanzibaris  under  arms,  and  was  busy 
with  preparations  for  defence  when  we  arrived.  Several 
Bakett^  chiefs  also  were  anxiously  awaiting  our  return, 
being  extremely  desirous,  on  their  own  account,  to  prevent 
any  further  hostilities  between  their  formidable  neighbours. 
After  a  time, more  Bakete  arrived,  and  earnestly  implored 
me  to  send  messengers  to  the  dreaded  Bakuba,  to  acknow- 
ledge that  w^e  had  trespassed  in  going  down  the  river  with- 
out their  permission,  and  to  offer  compensation  for  having 
fired  upon  them  at  the  island.  To  such  preposterous  de- 
mands only  one  reply  could  be  given.  Telling  the  Bakete 
that  they  must  choose  whom  they  would  befriend,  I  assured 
them  that  if  they  elected  thenceforth  to  serve  the  Bakuba, 
and  help  them  against  me,  I  had  no  objection  to  fight  their 
united  forces ;  but  if,  on  the  other  hand,  they  desired  to  be 
free  from  an  ancient  thraldom,  and  to  cast  in  their  lot  with 
us,  I  was  willing  to  undertake  their  defence  against  the 
Bakuba,  as  I  had  previously  done  against  the  Batua  Ban- 
konko.*  This  assurance  ended  their  doubtful  attitude,  and 
they  agreed  to  help  me  in  defending  the  station  should  occa- 
sion render  such  defence  necessary.  We  passed  a  somewhat 
restless  night,  our  fortifications  being  incomplete,  but  next 
day  (July  5th)  our  Bakete  allies  mustered  in  great  force, 
about  a   thousand    camping    near   Kassenge,    on   the   other 

*  Whom  I  had  forcibly  expelled  in  March  iSS6  from  two  of  tlio  small   villages  near 
Kassongd,  of  which  they  had  possessed  themselves. 

K 


146  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

side  of  the  Luliia.  In  the  course  of  the  day  the  Bakuba 
advanced  to  the  attack,  but  seeing  the  odds  ranged  against 
them,  they  refrained  from  making  any  demonstration  until 
late  in  the  afternoon,  when  their  war-canoes,  on  rounding 
the  point  below  the  station,  came  within  range  of  our 
howitzer,  and  their  hopes  of  success  were  speedily  anni- 
hilated. When  night  closed  in,  I  had  a  grand  pyrotechnic 
display,  as  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  a  large 
quantity  of  fireworks  amongst  our  stores.  The  coloured 
lights  especially  caused  some  curious  and  beautiful  effects, 
and  a  couple  of  war -rockets,  that  went  screaming  and 
hissing  over  the  river  and  through  the  trees,  drawing  for 
so  great  a  distance  a  trail  of  light  behind  them,  caused  the 
utmost  terror  and  consternation  alike  to  friends  and  foes. 
Next  morning,  in  answer  to  a  general  invitation  given 
through  our  Bakete  mediators,  two  Bakuba  chiefs  ventured 
to  the  station.  One,  whom  I  recognised  as  the  chief  of 
the  men  who  had  fired  upon  us  on  the  4th  at  the  island, 
I  singled  out  for  reproach ;  to  the  other  I  showed  such 
complaisance  as  I  thought  fitting,  and  made  him  a  small 
pi'esent.  I  gave  them  distinctly  to  understand  that  if  they 
had  any  complaints  against  our  people,  they  need  not  fear 
to  come  to  me  and  make  them  known,  for  I  would  redress 
all  grievances,  but  that  causeless  hostility  to  the  station 
people  would  not  only  be  resented  by  us,  but  very  severely 
and  surely  punished.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  I  was  never 
able  to  ascertain  the  precise  nature  of  the  offence  that  had 
been  given  to  the  Bakuba ;  but  whatever  it  may  have  been, 
the  storm  had  the  effect  of  clearing  the  atmosphere,  for 
we  had  no  subsequent  misunderstandings — in  fact,  we  con- 


FORTIFICATIONS  AND  ROADS.  147 


tinued   excellent  neighbours   during   the   remainder  of  my 
residence  at  Luebo. 

This  war-scare  quickened  our  movements  as  to  the  com- 
pletion of  our  defences.  The  ramping  along  the  river  fronts, 
and  the  palisading  on  the  land  side,  were  soon  finished. 
Here  we  made  a  regular  fosse,  1 8  feet  broad  at  the  top,  and 
14  feet  at  the  bottom,  the  depth  being  about  8  feet.  The 
approach  from  the  land  was  over  a  gorge,  flanked  by  a  loop- 
holed  house,  and  the  entrance  through  the  palisade  was  secured 
with  bars.  Other  progress  had  been  made,  and  my  own  house 
was  finished  soon  after  the  fortifications,  but  the  bath-house 
and  some  minor  offices  were  not  completed  until  a  later 
date.  We  had  begun  road-making  also  in  the  only  direction 
in  which  road-making  could  be  undertaken,  viz.,  towards 
Luluaburg.  The  old  native  path  meandered  through  the 
limits  of  the  new  roadway,  which  is  perfectly  straight,  an 
even  and  gradual  ascent  at  about  one  in  twenty-five  from 
the  station  to  the  burial-ground,  a  distance  of  some  1200 
yards.  The  road  lay  between  the  plantations  and  the  thick 
forest,  and  was  planted  on  both  sides  in  its  lower  portion 
with  plantains  and  bananas,  chiefly  the  former,  as  for  some 
unknown  reason  they  succeed  better  in  this  district  than 
bananas.  I  set  other  fruit-trees  also,  such  as  are  to  be  met 
with  in  the  native  plantations,  but  I  cannot,  of  course,  say 
how  they  succeeded. 

For  some  weeks  after  the  unpleasantness  witli  tlic 
Bakuba  nothing  of  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  mono- 
tony of  our  administrative  routine.  The  plantations  and 
the  building  operations  were  close  at  hand,  and  their  super- 
vision took  me  no  distance  from  my  own  door.     The  survey 


1 48 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


of  the  river  afforded  some  change,  as  long  as  it  lasted,  and 
an  occasional  day  of  hunting  was  quite  a  pleasing  excite- 
ment. Once  or  twice  I  went  with  the  Bakete  hunters,  who 
used  frequently  to  come  across  to  our  side  of  the  river  in 
pursuit  of  game.  They  were  always  careful  to  ask  my 
permission,  and  were  most  generous  to  me  in  their  subse- 


1  f 


BAKETE    HUNTERS. 


quent  distribution  of  the  spoil.  The  Luebo  jungles  were 
favourite  hunting-grounds  of  the  Bakete,  and  thus,  and  in 
looking  out  for  timber  trees,  I  got  to  know  a  good  deal  of 
that  quarter  of  our  neighbourhood.  One  day  I  came  upon 
some  fine  grassy  plains  not  above  a  mile  from  the  station, 
but  upon  the  other  side  of  the  Luebo,  and  at  a  consider- 
able elevation.      Being  much  impressed  with  the  capabilities 


CANOE  ACCIDENT  ON  THE  LUEBO.  149 


of  this  position  as  a  site  for  dwellings  and  plantations, 
I  made  a  regular  survey  of  it,  and  marked  out  five  allot- 
ments. The  comparatively  high  altitude  of  this  locality,  the 
absence  of  swamp  in  the  quarters  from  which  prevailing 
winds  blow,  the  sandy  soil,  and  ample  outfall,  all  combine 
to  recommend  it  as  a  sanatorium  for  the  neighbouring 
station,  which  cannot,  I  fear,  prove  a  healthy  residence  for 
either  natives  or  Europeans,  at  least  for  any  long  or  con- 
tinuous period.  Without  making  a  regular  survey  of  the 
Luebo,  I  contrived  in  the  course  of  several  brief  excur- 
sions to  become  acquainted  with  the  main  features  of 
that  river  in  its  lower  portion,  and  for  some  considerable 
distance  above  the  falls.  Here  and  there  stretches  of  navi- 
gable water  are  to  be  met  with,  but  the  interruptions  are  so 
numerous  that  no  use  is  ever  made  of  the  upper  stream  as  a 
means  of  communication,  save  in  the  event  of  the  Bakete 
and  other  hunters  launching  a  canoe  occasionally  on  the 
still  water  reaches  in  order  the  better  to  pursue  their  quarry. 
In  consequence  of  this  practice  an  accident  occurred,  which 
only  by  a  miracle  escaped  a  tragic  ending.  Some  half-dozen 
hunters  one  day  came  into  the  station  from  Kassenge, 
asking  me  to  lend  them  a  light  canoe  in  order  to  launch  it 
above  the  first  falls,  their  own  canoe  being  inconveniently 
heavy  for  the  porterage.  On  inquiry,  I  found  they  were  in 
quest  of  large  bats,  whicli  during  the  daytime  may  be  seen 
depending  from  the  branches  of  trees  overhanging  the  river. 
As  I  refused  to  lend  our  canoe,  the  huntsmen  were  obliged 
to  take  their  own.  Some  two  hours  after  they  had  gone  I 
chanced  to  be  out  on  the  Luebo  side  of  the  station,  when,  to 
my  horror,  I  saw  fragments  of  the  canoe  borne  past  me  by 


I50  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


the  rapid  current.  Fearing  that  a  really  dreadful  disaster 
had  happened,  I  hurriedly  sent  out  some  men  with  orders 
to  search  for  the  hunting-party  at  and  beyond  the  falls. 
They  returned  more  speedily  than  I  had  anticipated,  bringing 
with  them  one  of  the  hunters,  in  a  half-drowned  condition, 
whom  they  had  found  in  the  river  clinging  to  the  branch  of 
a  tree.  This  man  reported  that,  in  the  excitement  of  securing 
the  bats,  they  had  somehow  lost  their  paddles,  and  shoving 
off  from  the  trees  beneath  which  they  were  before  their 
loss  was  known,  the  canoe  had  been  caught  by  the  swift  eddy, 
and  was  hurried  over  the  rapids  immediately  above  the  falls. 
It  was  instantly  upset,  and  the  men,  none  of  whom  could 
swim,  were  engulfed  in  the  rushing  torrent.  What  had  be- 
come of  them  he  knew  not,  and  indeed  was  quite  unable  to 
give  any  account  as  to  how  he  himself  had  contrived  to  reach 
the  branch  whence  my  people  rescued  him.  However,  we  had 
no  sooner  given  the  others  up  for  drowned  than,  to  our  utter 
amazement,  they  one  and  all  came  in,  more  or  less  exhausted, 
and  bedraggled  indeed,  but  safe  and  sound,  having  in  various 
ways  succeeded  in  reaching  the  bank,  I  administered 
such  restoratives  as  seemed  requisite,  and  had  them  ferried 
across  the  Lulua,  remarking  that  they  ought  to  be  grateful 
to  a  kind  Providence  for  their  truly  wonderful  escape.  Will 
it  be  believed  that  any  human  beings  could  be  so  utterly 
sceptical  of  the  simplest  laws  of  nature,  so  absurdly  blind 
to  the  most  evident  connection  between  cause  and  effect  ? 
These  hardened  and  ungrateful  blockheads  could  see  nothing 
wonderful  in  their  unaccountable  deliverance  from  the  jaws 
of  instant  death,  but  only  in  the  fact  of  their  coming  into 
any  kind  of  misadventure  at  all — a  circumstance  which  they 


FALLS  OF  THE  LUEBO. 


positively  ascribed  to  my  black  magic,  and  not  to  tlieir  own 
foolhardiness  !  This  truly  African  disbelief  in  physical  law- 
is  doubtless  inseparable  from  a  low  position  in  the  scale  of 
human  knowledge,  and  we  laugh  at  it : — Are  we  to  consider 
a  corresponding  belief  in  Divine  interference  with  the  law^s  of 
nature  as  equally  ridiculous,  or  as  indicative  of  a  complete 
and  perfect  knowledge  of  the  universe  ? 


THE  WESTERN   FALLS  OF  THE  LIEBO. 


The  falls  of  the  Luebo,  thus  frequently  referred  to,  occur 
in  the  course  of  that  river  about  a  mile  above  its  junction 
with  the  Lulua,  and  at  a  point  where  the  stream  is  divided 
into  two  nearly  equal  portions  by  an  island  measuring 
somewhat  under  a  mile  in  length.  The  waters  in  the 
eastern  channel  are  broken  into  several  separate  cascades, 
that  farthest    down    the    stream    having   a  fall    of  over   iS 


152  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


feet,  and  being  by  far  the  most  imposing  in  appearance. 
Tlie  western  channel,  on  the  other  hand,  is,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  considerable  step  at  its  base,  a  continuous  boiling 
rapid,  unbroken  in  its  course  by  any  marked  variation  in  the 
angle  of  its  descent.  The  total  difference  in  the  level  of  the 
river-bed  from  top  to  bottom  must  be  considerably  over  one 
hundred  feet.  The  surrounding  forest  is  dense  on  all  sides, 
and  though  it  enhances  the  general  beauty  of  the  prospect, 
its  rank  luxuriance  in  places  greatly  intercepts  the  view  of 
the  water,  and,  in  union  with  the  extremely  tortuous  char- 
acter of  the  river's  course,  mars,  to  some  extext,  what  would 
otherwise  be  an  unusually  fine  piece  of  water-scenery. 

The  Bakete  hunting-parties  that  ranged  these  forests 
and  the  adjoining  plains  were  generally  large  corhpanies, 
consisting  of  as  many — sometimes — as  two  hundred  mem- 
bers, and  about  half  that  number  of  dogs,  the  latter  being 
provided  with  wooden  bells  strapped  under  their  bellies. 
Each  man  is  armed  with  a  bow,  a  number  of  arrows, 
a  spear,  and  a  knife.  Most  of  them  carry  nets.  The 
principle  on  which  the  Bakete  manage  their  hunting  is 
identical  with  that  practised  in  India  by  the  Government 
elephant-hunters  under  the  name  of  "  Keddah."  The  plan 
of  the  chase  may  be  said  to  consist  of  a  vast  triangle,  of 
which  the  base,  and  sides  in  the  direction  of  the  base,  are 
of  indeterminate  length,  but  having  the  apex  cut  off  by  a 
circle  described  from  a  centre  without  the  triangle,  the  said 
circle,  and  adjacent  portions  of  the  sides,  being  formed  of 
nets  stretched  upon  stakes.  The  base  of  the  triangle  is,  of 
course,  the  jungle  district  which  it  is  intended  should  be 
beaten  for  game.    When  the  Bakete  huntsmen  have  observed 


BAKETE  AND  CHIPLUMBA  HUNTING.  153 


the  recent  spoor  of  any  kind  of  smaller  game  and  antelopes, 
they  enclose  with  their  hunting-nets  and  stakes  a  suitable 
piece  of  bush-ground  for  the  "hot  corner"  as  described. 
The  company  then  disperse,  keeping  at  as  regular  intervals 
from  each  other  as  possible,  and  thus  going  round  the  out- 
side of  the  area  which  they  design  to  drive,  they  enclose  a 
considerable  tract  of  country,  sometimes  miles  in  extent. 
Then,  as  the  hunters  gradually  converge,  the  game,  frightened 
by  the  approaching  and  increasing  noise  of  men  and  dogs, 
charge  along  towards  the  only  point  in  which  silence  seems 
to  promise  safety.  The  hunted  creatures,  thus  nearing  the 
vortex,  are  guided  in  their  flight  by  the  enclosing  wings  or 
netted  sides  of  the  triangle  into  the  fatal  corner,  whence 
few  indeed  escape  alive  from  the  spears  and  arrows  of  the 
huntsmen,  who  are  already  there  before  them.  Sometimes, 
however,  a  buffalo  or  other  large  animal  will  be  enclosed 
within  the  nets,  when  not  unfrequently  the  conditions  of 
the  chase  are  reversed,  and  the  hunters  become  the  quarry. 
On  one  of  those  occasions  on  which  I  was  present  a  large 
buffalo — than  which,  in  my  opinion,  no  animal  in  Africa  is 
more  dangerous  to  be  hunted — destroyed  some  of  the  nets, 
and  gored  one  poor  fellow  so  frightfully  that  he  died  almost 
instantaneously. 

As  I  have  before  intimated,  the  game  preferred  by  the 
Bakete  are  the  smaller  animals  to  be  found,  I  cannot  say 
abundantly,  for  game  is  not  abundant,  if  indeed  we  except 
bats,  rats,  and  other  vermin,  in  tlicir  part  of  the  country.  In 
this  region  much  of  the  larger  game  common  enough  in 
East  Central  Africa  simply  does  not  exist — zebras,  giraflcs, 
rhinoceros  being  unknown.     There  is,  however,  one  animal 


154 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


belonging  to  the  catalogue  of  large  game  which  I  believe  to 
be  a  speciality  of  this  countryman  extremely  fine  antelope, 
called  by  the  natives  Barabangala.  I  have  not  met  with  it 
elsewhere  in  Africa,  nor  seen  it  figured  or  described  by  others. 
In  size  it  is  as  large  as  a  mule,  of  a  bright  chestnut  colour, 
striped  with  creamy-white,  much  in  the  manner  of  a  zebra, 
on  the  back  and  sides,  and  dappled  on  the  neck  and  flanks. 
The  belly  is  white,  as  is  also  the  scut.     The  horns  are  not  in 


BAMBANGAI.A. 


any  way  remarkable  either  for  size  or  form.  Besides  buffaloes, 
which  arc  numerous  only  in  the  grassy  tracts  of  the  Bashi- 
lange  country,  I  have  observed  leopards,  panthers,  civets, 
hyenas,  the  snow-leopard,  numerous  species  of  wild  cats,  otters, 
oncas,  the  Cape  hunting-dog,  jackals,  the  sloth-like  creature 
called  "  mbaku,"  and,  very  rarely,  the  lion.  Elephants 
abound  in  the  forests  about  the  Luebo,  and  there  are  hippo- 
potami in  all  the  rivers.     There  are  quantities  of  ichneumon, 


GAME  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  155 


the  mention  of  which  little  creature  reminds  me  of  the 
unfortunate  abundance  of  alligators,  which,  however,  cannot 
possibly  be  accounted  as  game.  Amongst  the  creatures 
hunted  by  the  Bakete  for  food  are,  occasionally,  the  eland 
(though  it  is  rather  large  game  for  them  to  tackle,  and 
is  rarely  met  with),  the  water-buck,  the  smaller  kudu,  the 
red  bush-buck,  the  water  or  reed  buck,  and  the  saddle- 
back or  harnessed  antelope,  so  called  from  the  curious 
white  markings  on  back  and  sides ;  the  bush-pig,  the  porcu- 
pine, the  earth-pig,  the  large  jungle-rat,  a  kind  of  squirrel, 
an  ant-bear,  the  sibissi  (a  species  of  hare),  and  monkeys  of 
every  description.  They  also  trap  and  eat  a  large  field-rat, 
the  ordinary  field-mouse,  and  bats.  The  common  house- 
rat  they  do  not  eat,  and  being  much  plagued  by  their 
depredations,  they  highly  appreciated  the  achievements  of 
a  domestic  cat  that  I  had  imported.  Other  creatures  that 
they  take  for  food  are  the  iguana  and  several  kinds  of 
lizards ;  the  land-tortoise  (the  water-tortoise  and  fish  of 
all  kinds  being  generally  obtained  from  the  Bakuba  or 
Baluba  fishermen) ;  snakes,  including  the  boa  constrictor ; 
grubs  and  caterpillars  ;  the  larvae  of  the  white  ant,  and  also, 
at  one  stage  of  its  existence,  the  white  ant  itself,  and  locusts, 
but  these  last-named  are  happily  rare.  Of  birds,  they 
take,  by  means  of  nets  and  traps,  as  well  as  by  shooting 
with  arrows,  pigeons  both  green  and  grey,  guinea-fowls, 
giant  plantain-eaters,  toucans,  parrots,  quails,  water-hens, 
a  kind  of  partridge,  and  occasionally  wild  ducks  and 
Egyptian  geese,  the  various  waders,  ibis,  and  eagles  when 
they  can  get  them.  Altogether  I  am  afraid  that,  although 
the  list  is  a  long  one,  the  fare  it  indicates  is  but  meagre  ; 


156 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


and  although  civilisation  when  introduced  may  greatly  lessen 
the  natural  food  resources  of  the  country,  one  of  its  chiefest 
blessings  will  be  the  supply  of  nourishing  and  thoroughly 
wholesome  sustenance  to  the  inhabitants. 


ANT-BKAR  AND  AXT-HILL. 


Towards  the  end  of  August  it  was  reported  to  me  that 
there  had  arrived  in  our  vicinity,  from  the  country  to  the 
east,  a  caravan  of  slave-dealers  known  as  Bihanos      These 


SLAVE  DEALERS  OF  BIHE.  157 

people,  inhabitants  of  Bihe  in  Angola,  have  been  long  wont 
to  travel  into  the  interior  for  the  purpose  of  exchanging  salt 
and  other  articles  of  barter  for  such  slaves  as  they  could 
obtain  by  means  so  far  fair,  or  those  means  failing,  by  kid- 
napping the  unfortunate  victims  of  their  cupidity.  There- 
after, in  returning  to  their  own  country,  where  their  living 
merchandise  has  become  valueless,  or  almost  so,  since 
Portugal  has  made  serious  profession  of  suppressing  the 
slave-trade,  they  generally  make,  for  obvious  reasons,  a  con- 
siderable detour  into  some  suitable  region,  and  there 
exchange  their  slaves  for  ivory,  which  can,  of  course,  be 
easily  negotiated  in  Bihe.  It  was  thus  that  the  Bihanos 
referred  to  had  come  into  the  Bashilange  country,  and  they 
had  made  a  good  many  bargains  before  I  was  aware  of  their 
presence.  Commander  Cameron  has  so  fully  exposed  the 
inhumanity  of  these  people,  as  he  witnessed  it  just  at  the 
end  of  their  palmier  days,  that  1  need  say  nothing  about 
them  beyond  noting  the  fact  that  I  took  immediate  measures 
to  secure  their  expulsion  from  my  district,  and  it  was  satis- 
factory to  find  that  my  orders  were  promptly  obeyed  ;  within 
three  days  not  one  member  of  the  caravan  remained  in  our 
neighbourhood. 


GROUND-NUT  UIL-MAKING. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Visit  to  Liikenga  Manena — My  namesake — Dishonesty  of  Jao  Domingos — Expedition 
against  Bioinb^ — Temporary  imprisonment  of  the  chief — Ground-nut  oil — Carvalho's 
boat-building  and  project — Arrival  of  the  Stanley  with  my  successor — The  Sanford 
expedition — I  leave  Luebo — Accident  to  the  Stanley — Sacred  island  of  Kimeh — 
Kwamouth  and  the  Catholic  Mission — The  Abbe  Krafft — Kiuchasa  and  LJopoldville 
once  more. 


Shortly  after  the  Bihanos  incident  I  made  an  excursion  up 
the  country  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Luhia,  and  proceeded 
farther  up  the  river  than  Luhiaburg,  though  of  course  in  a 
different  direction.     My  object  was  to  visit  Lukenga  Manena, 


A  BRIEF  HOLIDAY.  ,59 


a  powerful  and  remarkably  well-disposed  Bashilange  chief, 
who  had  repeatedly  pressed  me  to  do  so,  and  had  been  at 
some  pains  to  conciliate  my  good  opinion.  The  road  lay 
through  Kassenge  and  the  Bakete  country,  passing  throu'di 
fine  undulating  grass-lands,  forest,  and  jungle,  but  inter- 
cepted by  no  deep  ravines  or  uninhabited  districts.  On 
the  contrary,  our  eyes  were  constantly  gladdened  by  large 
and  beautifully  kept  plantations,  many  neat  and  populous 
tow^ns,  and  a  happy  and  industrious  people.  Only  four 
streams  worthy  the  name  of  rivers  had  to  be  crossed,  and  the 
descent  in  each  case  was  easy  and  gradual.  On  my  way  1 
saw  Congolemosch,  but  not  Chilunga  Meso,  who  was  away 
from  home ;  whether  having  betaken  himself  to  his  hermi- 
tage or  not  I  forget,  but  my  impression  is  that  he  had  gone 
to  visit  Calemba.  Nothing  occurred  which  could  be  esteemed 
of  special  interest,  at  least  of  a  kind  different  from  that 
which  I  have  described  as  having  happened  elsewhere.  I 
regret  much  that  I  did  not  take  any  observations  or  make  a 
route  chart,  but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  damp  heat  of  Luebo 
had  told  upon  me  a  good  deal,  and  I  was  disinclined  to 
uncalled-for  exertion  of  any  kind  when  out,  as  I  was,  for 
a  little  holiday.  In  the  course  of  my  journey  I  stopped  to 
visit  a  namesake  of  mine,  a  chief  called  Chienvu.  I  say 
"namesake"  because,  when  first  I  came  into  the  Bashilange 
country,  the  people,  believing  in  metempsychosis,  had  named 
me  "  Chienvu,"  deeming  me  to  be  the  embodiment  of  a 
chief  of  that  name  who  had  died  some  years  previously.  In 
this  I  only  shared  an  honour  done  to  Lieut.  AVissmann 
and  Dr.  Wolf,  who,  in  like  manner,  received  from  the 
natives  appellations  denoting  their  identity  with   departed 


i6o  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

chiefs.  I  had  left  the  station  once  more  in  Senhor  Car- 
valho's  hands,  and  found  everything  in  excellent  order  on 
my  return.  Our  crops  in  the  new  plantations  were  a  success  : 
the  sorghum,  a  fine  heavy  crop,  being  by  this  time  reaped 
and  in  store  :  the  rice  having  been  sown  so  as  to  ripen  in 
relays,  only  a  small  quantity  was  harvested,  but  it  was  ex- 
cellent. I  was  thus  enabled  to  begin  the  draining  in  the 
plantations  and  elsewhere.  The  drains  were  square  built, 
of  rough  stone,  a  quantity  of  small  or  broken  stones  being 
superimposed  between  the  roof  of  the  drain  and  the  soil. 

Immediately  after  my  return  from  visiting  Lukenga 
Manena  a  circumstance  occurred,  which,  although  perhaps 
trivial  in  itself,  serves  to  illustrate  some  of  our  adminis- 
trative difficulties.  We  had  in  our  service  at  Luebo  an 
Angolese,  by  name  Jao  Domingos,  a  pure-bred  negro,  but 
acquainted  with  the  Portuguese  language,  able  to  read  and 
write,  and  withal,  nominally,  a  Christian.  I  naturally  felt 
that  a  man  of  this  kind  could  be  more  or  less  trusted,  and 
accordingly,  despite  a  word  of  warning  from  Dr.  Wolf,  I 
detached  him  for  service  on  the  Bakete  side  of  the  river. 
There  I  had  placed  him  as  guard  of  the  flock  of  goats  be- 
longing to  the  station,  which,  in  consequence  of  our  failure 
to  obtain  pasturage  for  them  from  Chikabo  of  Beni-Kashia, 
were  kept  on  the  other  side  of  the  Lulua,  pursuant  to  an 
agreement  for  their  grazing  concluded  with  the  Bakete 
chiefs.  I  had  been  home  a  day  or  two — a  fact  of  which,  as 
it  afterwards  appeared,  Jao  was  ignorant — when  a  couple 
of  miserable  goats  were  received  at  the  station  to  be  entered 
on  the  books  and  branded  ;  which  being  done,  I  forthwith 
forgot  all  about  the  occurrence.     Not  long  after  I  was  per- 


^.V  INGENIOUS  FRAUD.  i6i 

plexed  by  the  arrival  of  a  messenger  from  a  Bashilange- 
Baluba  chief,  Debinga  Debeha,  who  resided  across  the  lAihia 
some  six  days'  march  eastward  from  Lnebo,  requesting  the 
gift  of  a  gun.  As  I  had  never  received  a  visit  from  this 
chief  nor  come  into  contact  with  him  in  any  way,  I  con- 
sidered the  request  unreasonable,  and  said  as  much,  adding 
that  not  only  were  we  unacquainted,  but  that  as  Debinga 
Uebeha  had  never  sent  me  a  present,  I  did  not  see  whv  I 
should  send  one  to  him.  To  my  surprise  the  messenger,  a 
young  man,  who  was,  by-the-bye,  the  chiefs  son,  replied  that 
I  was  surely  mistaken,  for  that  his  father  had  only  recently 
sent  me  a  present  consisting  of  two  slave-boys,  but  that  his 
messengers  had  been  told  that  I  would  not  see  them,  the 
present  being  quite  inadequate,  and  that  they  must  bring 
in  addition  a  bullock,  a  girl  and  a  boy.  Further  conversa- 
tion and  reflection  decided  me  to  give  the  gun,  with  which 
the  young  man  departed,  promising  to  return  as  speedily  as 
possible  with  the  fullest  proofs  of  the  truth  of  his  allega- 
tion. In  the  meantime,  although  nothing  had  transpired 
which  directly  implicated  Jao,  yet  my  suspicions  and  the 
whole  circumstances  surrounding  the  transaction  pointed 
him  out  as  the  culprit,  and  I  therefore  lost  no  time  in 
sending  for  him.  Being  interrogated,  Jao  at  once  admitted 
having  encountered  Debinga  Debeha's  messengers,  and  hav- 
ing received  the  present — two  goats  ;  but  he  asserted  that 
believing  me  to  be  away  from  home,  he  liad  relieved  the 
messengers  of  their  charge,  and  dismissing  them,  had  sent 
the  goats  over  to  the  station  to  be  duly  entered  in  tlie 
books — a  circumstance,  he  remarked,  that  must  surely  be 
within  my  knowledge  and  recollection.     He  acknowledged 

L 


i62  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

receiving-  the  two  lads,  and  volunteered  the  statement  that 
he  had  also  sold  them  for  his  own  profit,  but  he  maintained 
that  they  were  sent  to  him  by  Debinga  Debeha  in  payment 
of  a  debt  due  by  that  chief,  and  that  they  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  present  sent  for  me,  which  consisted  solely  of  the 
two  goats.  Kabembe,  the  chief  of  the  village  where  Jao  and 
the  goats  were  located,  and  who  accompanied  him  on  this 
occasion,  confirming  all  his  statements,  my  perplexity  was 
increased.  However,  I  told  Jao  that,  by  his  own  confession, 
he  had  been  guilty  of  a  most  serious  breach  of  the  law  in 
trading  in  slaves,  who,  had  they  come  into  my  hands,  would 
have  been  immediately  emancipated,  but  that,  as  he  did  not 
appear  to  have  acted  from  any  evil  intention,  I  would  this 
once  overlook  his  misconduct,  provided  that  he  would 
redeem  the  two  unfortunates.  This  did  not  satisfy  Jao ;  he 
would  have  no  complicity  with  crime;  his  probity  had  been 
impugned,  and  he  preferred  quitting  the  station  ;  and  con- 
cluded his  protestations  by  requesting  that  he  might  be 
removed  to  Luluaburg,  where  he  had  a  brother  in  the 
service  of  Lieut.  Wissmann's  expedition,  from  whom  he 
could  obtain  the  means  to  repurchase  the  two  slaves,  as 
I  demanded  that  he  should.  Duly  impressed  by  this  edify- 
ing exhibition  of  injured  honesty  and  refined  feeling,  I 
hastily  granted  his  request,  giving  him  a  transfer  note  for 
his  pay,  four  days'  rations  and  annnunition  for  the  journey, 
and  I  allowed  him  to  take  his  rifle.  Some  two  days  after 
Jao's  departure,  Debinga  Debeha's  son  returned  with  his 
witnesses,  and  I  had  to  send  for  Kabembe.  To  my  amaze- 
ment, this  worthy,  on  being  confronted  with  the  witnesses, 
reluctantly  confessed  his   cognisance   of  Jao's  fraud,  which 


DETECTED  AND  PUNISHED.  163 

had,  he  admitted,  consisted  not  only  in  misrepresenting  my 
disposition  towards  Debinga  Debeha,  and  demanding  a 
larger  present,  as  the  witnesses  had  alleged,  but  in  appro- 
priating the  two  lads,  and  then  representing  part  of  the  price 
he  had  received  for  them,  viz.,  the  two  goats,  as  the  present 
Debinga  Debeha  had  sent  to  me.  Moreover,  the  story  of 
that  chief's  indebtedness  to  Jao  turned  out  to  be  a  pure 
fabrication.  Thus  enlightened,  I  sent  forthwith  to  M.  de 
Mdcar,  requesting  him  to  arrest  Jao  should  he  arrive  at 
Luluaburg,  and  to  send  him  to  me.  At  the  same  time  I 
sent  expresses  to  all  the  chiefs  in  those  directions  whither 
Jao  was  likely  to  turn  in  order  to  effect  an  escape  from  the 
country,  commanding  them  to  stop  the  man  and  bring  him 
uninjured  to  Luebo,  In  consequence  of  these  measures,  Jao 
was  soon  brought  into  the  station,  very  much  against  his  will 
indeed,  but  securely.  He  had,  of  course,  never  attempted  to  go 
near  Luluaburg,  but  only  to  escape  to  Angola.  Other  accusa- 
tions Avere  brought  forward,  and  he  was  tried  and  convicted 
of  slave-dealing  and  breach  of  trust,  being  finally  taken 
down  to  the  coast,  there  to  undergo  two  years'  hard  labour 
on  board  the  hulk. 

The  next  event  that  I  have  to  chronicle  in  the  history 
of  my  work  at  Luebo  necessitates  a  reference  to  the  period 
of  our  misunderstanding  with  the  Bakuba,  or  rather  to  the 
week  preceding  that  trying  and  critical  occasion.  Not  many 
days  after  my  return  from  Luluaburg  I  received  a  despatch, 
dated  26th  June  1886,  which  had  followed  me  froui  that 
station.  It  was  accompanied  by  a  letter  from  M.  Le  Marinel, 
and  the  purport  of  both  communications  was  that  I  was  to 
prepare  and   hold   myself  in   readiness   to   co-operate  at  an 


1 6+  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

early  date  in  a  military  demonstration  against  the  people  at 
Biombe,  the  Chiplnmba-Bashilange  town,  or  rather  towns, 
situated  between  the  Kasai  and  Lulua  rivers,  some  three 
hours'  march  from  Luebo.  The  chief  of  that  place,  Kalonda, 
a  cousin  of  the  churlish  Chikabo  at  Beni-Kashia,  was  imbued 
with  similar  feelings  towards  the  State,  and  the  root  of  bitter- 
ness was  in  both  cases  one  and  the  same,  viz.,  the  intrigues 
of  the  Matchioko.  These  mischief-workers,  finding  us  a 
hindrance  to  their  own  traffic,  or  suspecting  that  we  should 
soon  become  one,  lost  no  time  in  representing  to  the  Chip- 
lumba  that  the  authorities  of  the  Congo  State  came  into  the 
country  for  the  one  purpose  of  imposing  taxes  and  oppress- 
ing the  aborigines.  This  poison,  which  at  Beni-Kashia  had 
produced  the  immediate  result  of  that  hostility  towards  our- 
selves which  I  have  already  mentioned,  developed  at  Biombe, 
removed  by  its  situation  from  all  friction  with  lis,  a  spirit  of 
rebellion  against  Calemba.  The  whole  subject  had  been 
under  discussion  w^hen  I  was  at  Luluaburg,  and  it  was  then 
determined  that  I  should  remonstrate  with  Chikabo,  as  already 
detailed,  and  that  Kalonda  should  be  left  to  more  forcible 
treatment  by  Calemba.  From  the  despatch  of  the  26th  of 
June  it  now  appeared,  however,  that  Kalonda  Avas  to  be 
brought  to  reason  by  a  force  from  Luluaburg  under  M.  Le 
Marinel,  and  that  Luebo  was  to  form  the  basis  of  operations. 
The  news  I  received  from  Luluaburg,  I  may  here  remark, 
was  to  the  efi'ect  that  on  the  following  day  Lieut.  Wissmann 
was  to  set  out  for  Ulungu  in  company  with  Kasongo  and 
his  party.  As  things  turned  out,  the  demonstration  against 
Biombe  never  came  ofi";  the  prolonged  absence  of  Lieut. 
Wissmann  and  other  deterrent  causes  delayed  the  business 


INTRIGUES  OF  THE  MATCH lOKO.  165 


at  Luluaburg,  while  at  Biombe  and  Liiebo  the  mere  lapse  of 
time  and  practical  experience  of  our  pacific  conduct  concilia- 
ted the  native  good-will,  and  gradually  produced  a  better  state 
of  feeling  both  towards  Calemba  and  the  State.  About  the 
middle  of  the  Bakete  harvest,  however — in  September — cir- 
cumstances rendered  necessary  the  adoption  of  active  and 
stringent  measures.  Food  getting  scarce,  and  there  being 
many  to  feed,  I  had  sent  parties  far  afield  to  procure  grain  and 
other  provisions  at  as  reasonable  rates  as  might  be  met  with. 
Finding  that  Biombe  was  the  cheapest  market  and  best 
supplied  in  the  country  at  the  time,  my  people  went  thither 
and  returned  more  than  once,  making  bargains  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  parties.  This  was  precisely  what  the  Matchioko 
did  not  desire.  They  renewed  their  calumnies  against  us, 
and  on  receiving  the  reply  that  while  experience  had  shown 
us  to  be  inoffensive  in  conduct,  and  altogether  unlike  what 
had  been  pictured,  yet  it  was  equally  clear  that  we  were 
formidable  neighbours,  and  that  it  was  therefore  unadvis- 
able  to  disoblige  us,  the  Matchioko  rejoined  with  clamour, 
insisting  that  the  Bakwa  Biombe  must  decide  between 
friendship  with  them  or  with  us.  Accordingly,  valuing 
above  all  things  the  skill  of  the  Matchioko  as  blacksmiths, 
the  Bakwa  Biombe  elected  to  retain  their  services  at  the 
expense  of  their  own  trading  relations  with  us,  and  when 
next  my  people  came  to  market,  they  were  insulted,  fired 
upon,  and  driven  off.  This  being  reported  to  me,  I  took 
steps  for  bringing  our  neighbours  to  reason.  In  tlie  iirst 
place,  having  acquainted  Calemba  with  this  occurrence,  I 
sent  messengers  to  inquire  the  ground  of  such  behaviour, 
and  demand  that  the  former  friendly  intercourse  should  be 


1 66  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

restored.  These  messengers  were  insulted  and  dismissed 
without  any  reply  being  given  to  my  message,  and  all 
further  attempts  to  open  communications  having  failed,  I 
determined  to  give  the  Bakwa  Biombe  a  salutary  lesson. 
The  operation  I  proposed  undertaking  was  of  the  nature 
of  a  surprise,  Avith  the  object  of  capturing  the  chief,  and 
detaining  him  a  prisoner  until  he  and  his  people  should 
give  security  for  better  behaviour :  it  was,  of  course,  in  the 
highest  degree  desirable  to  avoid  all  destruction  of  life  or 
property,  and  instructions  were  issued  accordingly.  I  made 
a  plan  of  the  line  of  march,  and  the  positions  to  be  occupied, 
and  divided  the  attacking  force  into  two  companies,  the 
larger  of  which,  under  the  command  of  Bimba,  our  inter- 
preter, and  Mohamadi,  the  Zanzibari  niapara,  I  despatched 
at  nightfall.  They  were  to  reach  the  vicinity  of  Biombe  as 
speedily  as  possible,  halting  there  some  hours  for  rest,  and 
were  finally  to  take  up  a  position  close  to  the  towns  about 
3  A.M.  I  myself  went  down  the  river  later  with  the  smaller 
force,  landing  at  two  o'clock,  and  proceeded  through  the 
dense  forest  along  the  beaten  track  towards  the  towns.  I 
was  careful  to  send  out  feelers  in  advance  along  either 
flank,  but  we  arrived  at  our  destination  without  misad- 
venture of  any  kind.  We  had,  of  course,  brought  rockets 
with  us,  and  on  coming  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
stockade  fired  one — the  appointed  signal  —  which  had 
scarcely  burst  when  our  co-operating  party  fired  a  volley,  and 
we  all  advanced  to  enter  the  town.  The  Bakwa  Biombe 
were  not  wholly  taken  by  surprise,  and  they  resisted  a  short 
time,  so  that  we  had  seven  men  wounded.  However,  we 
succeeded   in    our    object   without   much   further    difficulty, 


KALONDA'S  PUNISHMENT.  167 

capturing  Kalonda  and  taking  him  away  a  prisoner.  We 
marched  back  to  the  landing-place,  leaving  the  towns  and 
plantations  uninjured,  the  land  party  returning  by  the  river's 
bank  and  keeping  parallel  with  us.  The  Bakwa  Biombc 
were  greatly  alarmed  by  this  prompt  manifestation  of  our 
power,  and  fled  temporarily  from  their  towns.  After  a  few 
days,  when  their  return  and  submission  had  been  reported 
to  me,  I  restored  Kalonda  under  certain  conditions  and 
promises,  and  I  believe  that  he  was  more  impressed  by  the 
mildness  of  the  restraint  imposed  upon  him  during  his  brief 
captivity  than  by  the  promptitude  with  which  he  had  been 
arrested. 

The  last  agricultural,  or  quasi-agricultural,  operation  over 
which  I  presided  at  Luebo  was  the  making  of  gi'ound-nut 
oil.  Our  crop  of  these  nuts  being  ingathered,  I  reserved 
some  for  seed,  and  devoted  the  remainder  to  the  manu- 
facture of  oil.  The  method  I  adopted  (which  is  that 
pursued  by  the  Zingas)  is  as  follows  : — The  ground-nuts  are 
reduced  to  a  kind  of  coarse  flour  by  pounding  them  in  a 
mortar.  This  flour,  which  is  highly  oleaginous,  is  rolled  up 
into  large  balls,  and  is  in  that  form  exposed  to  the  sun  until 
the  oil  is  seen  to  distil  from  the  balls,  wdiich  are  then 
crumbled  by  very  small  quantities  into  a  mortar,  boiling 
water  being  added  with  each  quantity  of  flour.  As  the  mass 
increases  in  the  mortar,  it  is  most  carefully  pressed,  and 
worked  with  clean  peeled  sticks.  By  means  of  this  pressure 
the  oil  is  separated  from  the  pulp  or  residuum  of  flour, 
which  is,  of  course,  disintegrated  by  the  boiling  water.  The 
oil  being  then  poured  off",  the  remaining  flour  is  further 
subjected   to   a  process   of  wringing  in   a   cloth,   by  which 


i68  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

means  yet  more  oil  is  extracted.  All  the  oil  is  then  set  over 
the  fire  in  large  cooking-pots,  and  when  brought  to  the  boil- 
ing-point the  heat  is  abated,  and  so  regulated  as  to  keep  the 
oil  at  the  same  temperature  for  some  days.  This  amount  of 
heat  gradually  brings  all  impurities  to  the  surface  as  a  scum, 
which  is  carefully  removed  from  time  to  time  until  the  oil 
is  perfectly  clear  like  the  finest  olive-oil,  which  it  closely 
resembles  in  flavour,  or  rather,  absence  of  flavour.  It  is 
then  allowed  to  cool,  and  is  bottled  off  for  use.  In  this 
manner  I  made  about  twenty  gallons  of  oil,  which  was 
highly  appreciated  by  all  who  tasted  it ;  but  there  are  other 
and  more  frequently  adopted  methods  of  extracting  it,  which 
result  in  the  manufacture  of  a  very  inferior  article,  that 
has  brought  discredit  upon  ground-nut  oil  in  the  world  of 
commerce. 

Senhor  Carvalho,  whose  business  at  Luebo  I  have  omitted 
to  say  was  canoe-building,  had  now  (Nov.  1886)  been  some 
time  absent  from  the  station.  He  had  gone  to  Muansangoma, 
to  procure  ivory,  with  which  he  returned  to  Luebo,  in  order 
that  he  might  send  it  down  to  the  coast  on  board  the 
Stanley,  which  might  be  coming  up  at  any  time.  He  was 
also  shipping  the  ivory  he  had  already  stored  with  us,  a  total 
altogether  of  considerably  more  than  one  hundred  points. 
While  he  was  away  I  had,  at  his  request,  looked  after  the 
canoe-building,  which  had  been  so  far  successful  in  that  he 
now  possessed  two  really  fine  canoes  of  large  size,  and 
several  smaller.  The  idea  of  the  partners  was  to  utilise  the 
river  down  to  Kwamouth  as  a  highway  by  which  to  carry 
their  merchandise  to  the  riparian  tribes.  Whether  this  idea 
be  really  practicable  or  not  remained  to  be  proved  when  I 


THE  SAN  FORD  EXPEDITION.  169 

left  the  district,  but  my  own  opinion  is,  that  although  the 
punishments  inflicted  upon  the  towns  of  the  predatory 
Basongo-Meno  may  have  sufficed  to  make  the  river  safe  for 
the  passage  of  any  boats  or  canoes,  it  is  assuming  too  much 
to  conclude  that  it  must  therefore  be  safe  for  traders  to 
sojourn  amongst  the  inhabitants,  coming  and  going  from 
town  to  town,  and  trafficking,  it  might  be  for  days  at  a  time, 
in  one  place  or  another.  In  fact,  I  am  sadly  afraid  that 
should  he  have  attempted  thus  to  carry  out  his  plan,  all  that 
is  mortal  of  Senhor  Antonio  Lopes  de  Carvalho  may  be  now 
long  since  assimilated  to  the  baser  nature  of  some  sable 
warrior  upon  the  banks  of  the  Kasai, 

When  the  Stanleij  at  last  arrived — in  December  1886 — 
she  had  been  long  expected.  There  were  on  board,  besides 
M.  Legat,  who  was  to  succeed  me  at  Luebo,  Lieut.  Taunt, 
United  States  Navy,  and  the  Commercial  Agent  of  the  State 
from  Leopoldville.  Lieut.  Taunt  was  at  that  time  in  command 
of  the  Sanford  expedition,  which  had  been  organised  by,  and 
largely  at  the  expense  of,  General  Sanford,  the  United  States 
Minister  at  Brussels.  Its  object  was  to  explore  the  Congo 
and  its  tributaries,  with  the  view  of  acquiring  the  most 
reliable  and  exact  statistics  that  might  be  obtained  as  to  the 
commercial  capabilities  of  the  vast  countries  lying  within 
their  drainage  area,  the  present  state  of  trade  in  those 
regions,  and  the  disposition  and  nature  of  the  inhabitants. 
This  was  a  necessary  preliminary  to  the  formation  of  a  rail- 
way between  Mposo  and  Leopoldville  or  Kinchasa :  a  work 
of  supreme  importance  for  the  future  of  the  Congo  State. 
My  term  of  service  having  expired,  I  was  now  about  to 
return    to    Europe.       Under    some    circumstances    1    would 


I70  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

gladly  have  embraced  the  opportunity  afforded  me  of  en- 
countering new  adventures  and  seeing  other  countries  in 
the  vast  basin  of  the  Congo,  in  farthering  the  objects  of 
the  Sanford  expedition ;  but  many  signs  warned  me  that  my 
health,  which  had  been  wonderfully  good  throughout  the 
whole  period  of  my  life  on  the  Kasai,  required  recruiting. 
So  when  I  had  embarked  my  effects,  and  taken  a  somewhat 
regretful  farewell  of  Senhor  Carvalho  and  many  friends 
amongst  the  natives — Lieut.  Wissmann,  who  had  left  Lulua- 
burs:  for  the  East  Coast  on  the  i6th  of  November,  had 
written  me  a  most  kind  adieu  on  the  previous  day — I  went 
on  board  the  Stanley,  and  looked  my  last  upon  the  dark 
woods  and  swirling  waters  of  Luebo  on  the  i8th  of 
December  1886. 

A  few  particulars  as  to  our  voyage  to  Leopoldville  will 
bring  my  narrative  of  the  first  ascent  of  the  Kasai  to  a 
conclusion.  Nothing  of  any  moment  occurred  until,  on  the 
fourth  day  after  leaving  Luebo,  we  ran  upon  a  snag,  which  so 
injured  one  of  the  floats  of  the  paddle-wheel  that  we  had  to 
camp  at  the  nearest  available  island  for  repairs.  This  was 
no  great  distance  above  the  Basongo-Meno  towns  burnt  by 
us  in  the  October  of  the  preceding  year,  and  as  we  had  very 
much  less  ammunition  than  we  ought  to  have  had,  our  situa- 
tion might  thus,  in  an  enemy's  land,  have  become  somewhat 
critical.  As  it  happened,  however,  the  wheel  was  effectually 
cobbled,  and  we  continued  our  voyage  on  the  following  day 
without  further  adventure.  Passing  the  mouth  of  the 
Nzali  Mpini,  we  stopped  for  about  half  an  hour  in  order  to 
obtain  firewood  at  the  island  of  Kimeh.  In  our  ascent  of 
the  river  we  had  not  visited  this  singular  spot,  which  is  con- 


KIM  EH.  1 7 , 

spiciioiis  from  a  considerable  distance  by  reason  of  its  lofty 
trees.  It  would  appear  that  for  ages  this  island  has  been 
held  sacred  by  the  Wabuma  as  the  burial-place  of  their 
kings,  who  lie  here  interred  beneath  numerous  tumuli  and 
under  the  ghostly  protection  of  their  tutelary  fetish.  The 
sepulchral  mounds,  overshadowed  by  lofty  redwood  and 
similar  trees,  are  formed  of  well-beaten  earth,  and  are  about 
sixteen  feet  long,  of  rather  less  breadth,  and  eight  feet  in 
height.  They  are  kept  fairly  free  from  grass  and  weeds,  and 
are  studded  with  stones  and  bits  of  broken  crockery,  some 
choice  specimens  of  the  latter  being  fixed  upon  poles  erected 
on  the  mounds.  I  looked  into  the  fetish-house,  and  saw 
many  figures  of  various  sizes,  male  and  female,  all  of  them 
equally  hideous  and  obscene.  The  island  may  measure 
about  2^  miles  in  length,  with  a  breadth  of  one  mile,  and 
is  densely  wooded.  The  only  inhabitants  we  saw  were  the 
people  who  kept  the  graves,  and  who  had  on  hand  a  large 
stock  of  firewood,  from  which  they  'svere  very  glad  to  sell  us 
a  supply  at  a  fair  price. 

On  the  eighth  day  of  our  voyage  we  arrived  at  Kwaraouth, 
where  we  were  most  warmly  welcomed  and  hospitably  enter- 
tained by  the  Superior  and  Fathers  of  the  French  Mission,  to 
whom  the  station  buildings  and  enclosures  have  been  handed 
over.  It  was  intended  to  establish  a  new  governmental 
station  on  the  opposite  or  right  bank  of  the  Kwa,  and  the 
site  had  been  marked  out  before  our  visit  :  very  proljubly 
the  rapid  changes  effected  by  the  climate  have  long  since 
obliterated  all  traces  of  anything  of  the  kind.  Although  only 
some  six  months  had  elapsed  since  the  worthy  Fathers  had 
entered  into  possession,  a  large  number  of  improvements  had 


172  UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 

been  completed  in  the  badly  constructed  and  worse  planned 
station.  The  water  at  the  landing-place  had  been  deepened, 
so  that  steamers  could  come  close  inshore,  large  gardens  and 
plantations  had  been  laid  out  and  brought  into  cultivation, 
whose  productiveness  was  testified  by  an  abundant  supply  of 
excellent  vegetables,  including  some  superb  tomatos  which 
the  good  Fathers  kindly  gave  us.  The  wretched  tumble-down 
house  that  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  station  had  been  re- 
moved, a  new  kitchen  erected,  and  all  the  other  buildings  thor- 
oughly repaired.  The  Superior  entertained  us  at  luncheon, 
and  I  w^as  delighted  to  meet  my  former  acquaintance,  the 
Abbe  Krafft,  whom  I  had  last  seen  at  Isanghila.  The  solitari- 
ness of  my  recent  life,  broken  only  by  the  limited,  and  occa- 
sionally uncongenial  company  of  Europeans,  contrasted  with 
the  engaging  manners,  the  witty  and  cultured  conversation, 
the  simple  but  dignified  hospitality  of  the  company  in  which 
I  now  found  myself,  did  not  fail  to  impress  me  deeply  ; 
it  made  me  feel  already  returned  and  welcomed  back  to 
civilisation ;  W'hile  the  sacred  character  of  my  hosts,  no  less 
than  their  gentle  breeding,  brought  one  nearer  to  the  Source 
from  which  that  civilisation  springs.  And  there  is  another 
contrast  which  always  recurs  to  me  whenever  I  encounter 
the  Fathers  of  the  Catholic  Mission  in  Africa,  viz.,  the 
enormous  difference  between  missionaries  and  missionaries, 
between  the  highly-born  and  educated  man  of  great  intel- 
lectual power,  and,  it  may  be,  knowledge  of  the  world,  who, 
in  a  divine  enthusiasm  for  the  work,  abandons  all  the  prizes 
that  the  world  can  give,  and  the  less  than  half-educated 
sectary  to  whom  the  mission-field  abroad  offers  a  solid 
advancement    from    uncertain    and    ill-paid    occupations    at 


THE  MISSION  AT  KWAMOUTH.  173 


home,  and  who  may  possibly,  if  smart  eiiougli,  turn  out  a 
good  geographer,  but  rarely  indeed  an  efficient  pioneer  of 
Christianity.  The  Fathers  had  built  a  small  house  to  serve 
as  an  oratory,  but  as  yet  there  was  no  attempt  at  a  church. 
I  make  no  doubt,  however,  but  that,  when  it  shall  Inue 
become  a  necessity,  the  church  will  be  there.  These  men 
are  competent  missionaries :  personal  contact  with  the 
people ;  the  going  about  amongst  them  doing  tlicm  physical 
good ;  the  bettering  the  general  condition  of  their  lives — 
these  things  are  made  to  accompany  preaching,  and  to  pre- 
cede theology;  and  since  such  was  also  the  method  of  the 
First  Teacher  of  Christianity,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  the 
success  of  these  priests  should  be  sometimes  proportionate 
to  their  consistency.  There  is  at  Kwamouth  a  large  native 
population  within  hearing  of  the  mission-bell,  and  as  it  daily 
sings  at  morn  and  noon  and  night  the  first  of  all  the  gospel 
canticles,  we  may  well  hope  that  ere  long  it  shall  not  find 
its  only  echo  in  the  mighty  rivers  and  the  waving  woods,  but 
also  in  the  living  hearts  and  lives  of  men. 

AVe  encamped  this  evening  at  Ibani,  on  the  south  bank 
of  the  Congo,  and  on  the  following  day,  the  ninth  of  our 
voyage,  we  reached  Leopoldville  early  in  the  afternoon. 
At  Kinchasa,  where  we  disembarked  Lieut.  Taunt,  we  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mr.  Swinburne  again  ;  and  at  Leopold- 
ville we  were  welcomed  by  M.  Le  Marinel,  Senior,  chief  of 
station  ;  Captain  Yangele,  administrator  of  the  Upper  Congo  ; 
M.  Steleman,  commercial  agent ;  and  other  Europeans  i)revi- 
ously  known  to  us. 

Thus  the  record  of  my  experiences  in  connection  A\illi 
the  first  attempt  to  plant  civilisation   in   a   vast  region    of 


174 


UNDER  THE  LONE  STAR. 


Central  Africa  is  closed.  I  trust  the  narration  of  circum- 
stances of  which,  be  they  great  or  small,  it  must  be  written 
"ef  quorum  joars  magna  fui''  may  be  helpful  to  others 
similarly  placed,  and  of  interest  to  all  Avho  have  at  heart 
the  regeneration  of  long-degraded  races  of  their  fellow-mcn. 


KALLINA  POINT. 


APPENDIX. 


Note  A. — African  Servants. 

Kegeo  servants,  if  good,  are  justly  renowned  for  fidelity  and  efficiency, 
and  those  cliaracteristics  are  not  less  marked  in  their  own  land  than  in 
Enrope  and  America.  During  my  African  experiences  I  had  a  large 
number  of  servants  through  my  hands,  of  whom  the  majority  gave 
me  satisfaction.  Some  of  the  least  satisfactory  were  Christians,  and 
quite  the  worst,  a  young  fellow  known  as  John  Henry,  having  been 
trained  in  Bishop  Steere's  Mission  at  Zanzibar,  wrote  and  spoke  English 
perfectly,  but  was  a  fearful  drunkard,  and  an  accomplished,  mischievous, 
and  impudent  liar.  Of  the  two  servants  whom  I  took  with  me  on 
the  voyage  up  the  Kasai,  the  elder,  a  huge  and  very  ugly  Houssa, 
named  Bakari  Egba-Ali,  a  Moliammedan,  was  the  best  servant  I  ever 
had  or  ever  man  need  wish  to  have :  trutliful,  faithful,  and  ingeniously 
expert  in  all  things  pertaining  to  personal  attendance.  I  have  much 
cause  to  feel  grateful  to  him  for  his  unwearied  and  self-denying 
attention  in  health  and  sickness.  Before  he  came  into  my  service 
he  had  been  shamefully  ill-used  by  his  master,  an  Englishman,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  but  presumably  unaccustomed  to  the  command  of  ser- 
vants in  his  native  land.  Bakari  and  I  parted  with  mutual  regret. 
The  other  servant,  a  lad  named  Mualo,  a  native  of  Lutete,  was  a 
faithful  creature,  a  fact  proved  by  his  voluntarily  offering  to  accom- 
pany me  up  the  Kasai,  at  that  time  a  nanjc  of  ill  savour  down  the 
Congo. 

Note  B. — Central  African  Scenery  and  its  Critics. 

I   have   (in    the  text)    below   pointedly  remarked   the   occasional 
beauty  and  variety  of  the  African  forest  in  the  same  spirit  as  1  iiave 


176  APPENDIX. 


here  admitted  (and  ascribed  to  wliat  I  believe  to  be  its  true  cause) 
that  feeling  of  desolation  with  which  the  Congo  scenery  impresses 
the  beholder.  It  is  pure  affectation  to  pretend  that  the  sunlight  in 
Equatorial  Africa  is  unlike  the  sunlight  in  Equatorial  anywhere  else, 
or  that  the  magnificent  tiora  which  contributes  to  the  glory  of  many 
an  European  hothouse  is  incapable  of  endowing  with  the  smallest 
interest  or  beauty  the  land  that  gives  it  birth ;  but!  I  am  sorry  to 
observe  that  although  this  affectation  is  as  absurd  as  its  pretensions 
are  false,  yet  it  is  nevertheless  fashionable.  Poor  Mr.  Smellfungus 
could  never  see  good  in  anything  except  in  himself,  but  then,  of  course, 
that  v/as  what  nobody  else  could  see.  Not  much  happier  are  such 
writers  in  their  complaints  as  to  the  impoverishing  character  of  the 
food  obtainable  in  Central  Africa  :  their  only  ground  of  plausible 
excuse  being  the  impossibility  of  their  glutting  themselves  with  vulgar 
masses  of  British  beef,  stodgy  potatoes,  and  bile-creating  beer. 


Note  C. — Forest  Trees  and  Plants. 

Besides  the  two  or  three  remarkable  trees  mentioned  in  the  text, 
there  are  others  almost  equally  beautiful  and  of  great  utility.  The 
bamboos  and  palms  are  as  well  known  as  they  are  universally  useful. 
The  Cottonwood  tree  is  often  to  be  seen  towering  above  the  rest  of  the 
forest  to  a  height  little  short  of  200  feet.  It  is  deciduous,  and  is 
noticeable  both  for  its  immense  height,  the  curious  buttress-like  supports 
which  grow  up  from  its  roots  on  all  sides,  and  its  smooth  slate-grey 
coloured  trunk  rising  branchless  almost  to  the  point  at  which  the 
umbrella-like  crown  terminates  its  upward  growth.  The  wood  of  this 
tree  is  perfectly  white,  very  soft,  and,  when  seasoned,  as  light  as  cork. 
It  is  used  for  a  variety  of  purposes,  and  out  of  the  flat  slabs  obtained 
from  the  buttresses  the  natives  form  platters  and  dishes.  The  Kusio- 
Jcusu — another  lofty,  straight,  and  branchless  tree — is  much  used  for 
"  dug-out "  canoes.  The  leaves  are  leathery,  dark,  and  evergreen. 
The  water-loving  Redwood  also  occasionally  attains  a  great  height, 
although  its  habit  of  growth  is  somewhat  spreading.  Its  foliage, 
which  is  very  dark  and  glossy,  grows  in  dense  and  handsome 
masses.     Very  similar  is  the  Camwood,  from  which  the  red  powder 


APPENDIX.  J -7 


of  native  commerce  is  obtained.  The  Teak  tree  must  be  reckoned 
amongst  the  larger  timber  trees,  and  is  common  enough:  tall  and 
straight,  with  dark,  glossy  foliage,  decidedly  handsome.  The  Siikabu 
is  also  a  lofty  tree,  often  growing  to  a  height  of  from  100  to  150  feet. 
In  form  and  outline  it  much  resembles  the  silver  fir,  though  its  folia<Te 
is  of  course— for  it  is  not  a  conifer — utterly  dissimilar.  The  bark  is 
rough,  and  brown  in  colour ;  the  branches  leave  the  trunk  almost  at 
right  angles  ;  and  the  leaves,  dark  hued  and  lanceolate,  are  evergreen. 
This  tree  is  chiefly  valued  on  account  of  its  resinous  exudations,  which 
are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  torches,  known  on  the  coast  as  "  bush 
candles."  The  Baohah,  another  forest  giant,  is,  in  my  opinion,  unsightly, 
although  it  has  many  admirers.  Its  most  striking  peculiarity  is  the 
position  of  the  fruit,  which  hang  singly  on  long  caudicles — I  lack  a 
more  exact  word — from  two  to  six  feet  from  the  parent  stem,  precisely, 
of  course,  where  the  blossoms  have  been.  It  is  always  grotesquely 
branched,  and  differently  in  different  specimens;  some  possessing 
great  undivided  trunks,  and  others  branching  almost  from  the  ground. 
There  are  no  twigs  properly  so  called — only  small  but  comparatively 
thick  branchlets,  from  which  the  leaves  and  the  long  flower-stems 
grow.  The  bark,  which  is  quite  smooth  and  somewhat  glossy,  is  grey 
in  colour,  and  the  evergreen  foliage,  which  is  very  sparse,  is  light 
green.  The  blossom  is  large,  something  like  an  enormously  exaggerated 
myrtle  flower,  and  of  a  greenish  white  colour.  The  fruit  is  a  curious 
gourd-like  globe,  with  a  velvety  surface,  at  first  green,  but  ripening 
into  brown.  In  size  the  fruit  varies  from  a  diameter  of  four  inches 
to  one  of  eight.  On  being  opened,  a  fibrous  brush-like  lining  to  the 
shell  is  laid  bare,  which  is  utilised  for  brushes  and  scrubbers.  The 
wood  is  worthless,  but  Senhor  Monteiro,  believing  that  excellent  paper 
could  be  manufactured  from  this  tree,  experimented  successfully  wiili 
the  inner  bark,  and  eventually  established  a  small  mill  with  suitable 
machinery  for  the  manufacture  at  Maculla  on  the  west  coast,  north  of 
Ambrizette.  The  natives,  however,  judged  that  Senhor  Monteiro  and 
his  machinery  were  weaving  charms  and  a  diabolical  fetish  against  them, 
and  they  accordingly  soon  made  an  end  of  the  whole  concern  by  smash- 
ing up  and  destroying  the  mill  and  its  contents.  Amongst  less  lofty 
trees  we  have  the  acacias  already  named,  with  flowers  pink,  white,  and 

M 


J78  APPENDIX. 


yellow;  ieoihexj  mimosas ;  the  ebony  tree,  the  ^?'6or  'vitce,  and  many 
others  the  names  of  which  I  do  not  know.  Two  of  the  most  note- 
worthy of  the  trees  of  moderate  height  are  the  hush  mangrove  and  the 
Banyan  or  Saffu.  The  former  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  resemblance  to 
its  salt-marsh  kinsman,  from  which,  however,  it  differs  in  that  it  is 
a  deciduous  tree,  and  lacks  those  peculiarities  which  make  its  rela- 
tive a  harbourer  of  pestilence.  The  Saffic,  a  most  umbrageous  tree,  is 
always  planted  by  the  natives  in  their  towns,  where  its  shade  affords  a 
convenient  shelter  for  the  village  conclave.  The  fruit,  closely  resem- 
bling in  appearance  a  magnum-bonum  plum,  though  larger,  is  very  acid. 
As  an  article  of  food  it  is  best  roasted  on  the  wood  ashes,  and  so 
roasted  is  frequently  made  up  into  a  very  agreeable  confection  with 
sugar  and  cream.  There  are  two  remarkable  trees  very  commonly  to 
be  met  M'ith  bearing  quantities  of  fruit  which,  although  of  large  size 
and  tempting  appearance,  are  useless  for  food,  whatever  their  medicinal 
qualities  may  or  may  not  be.  The  Elephant-apple  or  Jack-fruit  tree 
•is  a  denizen  of  the  woodlands,  where  it  grows  to  a  considerable  size 
in  moist  soils.  The  apple,  as  it  is  called,  is  considerably  larger  than 
the  average  unhusked  cocoa-nut,  and  when  ripe  is  a  gorgeous-looking 
fruit,  bearing  all  shades  of  yellow,  from  a  pale  lemon  colour  to  the 
most  brilliant  orange.  Its  outer  skin  is  marked  and  embossed  in  small 
hexagonal  compartments,  which,  on  an  attempt  being  made  to  tear 
them  off,  are  found  to -continue  through  to  the  centre  of  the  fruit, 
precisely  like  the  sections  of  a  fir  cone.  As  an  article  of  food,  how- 
ever, this  superb-looking  fruit  is  utterly  disappointing,  being  slightly 
sweet  indeed,  but  very  dry,  and  redolent  of  turpentine.  The  natives 
use  it  for  "medicine."  The  utmost  praise  I  can  bestow  upon  it  is  to 
say  that  I  believe  it  is  not  poisonous.  The  other  M'ild  fruit  tree  that 
I  allude  to  is  called  "  Zilu  "  by  the  natives,  and  is  to  be  found  every- 
where on  the  grassy  plains  and  old  clearings  in  tlie  neighbourhood  of 
villages.  It  is  a  low-growing,  round-topped  tree,  with  rather  bright 
evergreen  leaves.  The  blossom  is  white  and  star-shaped,  but  unin- 
teresting. The  fruit,  quite  globular  in  shape  and  smooth  skinned,  of 
the  size  of  a  large  orange,  is  remarkable  for  the  changes  its  colour 
undergoes  in  the  process  of  ripening :  green,  lead-colour,  and  finally 
oramre.     The  rind  is  extremelv  thick,  and  almost  as  tough  as  wood. 


APPENDIX.  179 


The  interior  contains  a  yellow  pulp,  very  sweet,  but  painfully  astrin- 
gent. The  natives  employ  it  as  "  medicine,"  but  not  for  food.  Lieut. 
Wissmann  ate  two  of  these  fruits,  and  in  consequence  suffered  a  good 
deal  from  nausea.  He  stated  that  the  fruit  contains  strychnia,  and  I 
believe  that  it  is  slightly  poisonous.  Throughout  the  forest  multitudes 
of  creeping  plants  and  trees  are  to  be  found,  notably  the  indiarubber 
vine  (not  the  small-leaved  Ficus  rcpens  of  our  English  hothouses),  the 
creeping  bamboo,  the  orchilla  weed,  and  many  other  parasites,  as 
ferns  and  orchids,  which  drape  the  greater  stems  and  weave  the  lesser 
trees  into  an  impenetrable  screen,  or  bring  fresh  light  and  beauty  into 
many  a  shady  place.  There  are  a  multitude  of  shrubs,  many  of  them 
of  great  beauty,  curious  plants,  ferns,  and  mosses,  some  known  indeed 
to  botanists  and  collectors,  but  many  more,  I  am  persuaded,  still  await- 
ing discovery  and  classification. 

Note  D.  —  The  Kwango. 

The  upper  part  of  the  river  Kwango  was  thoroughly  explored  in 
1883  by  Major  Mechow,  who  descended  the  river  until  within  100  miles 
of  the  Kwa,  where  farther  navigation  downward  was  stopped  by  the 
very  considerable  falls  to  which  that  explorer  has  given  his  name. 
Subsequently  Lieut.  Massari  ascended  the  Kwango  until  within  a  short 
distance  of  Mechow  Falls,  but  he  had  to  return  owing  to  lack  of  provi- 
sions. The  river  is  about  900  miles  long,  and  deep,  but  swift  and 
narrow.  For  long  portions  of  its  course  it  is  navigable,  but  not  continu- 
ously. It  drains  a  large  area  lying  at  a  much  higher  elevation  tliau  that 
of  the  Kasai,  into  which  stream  it  falls  at  3°  ly'  30"  S.,  17°  45'  F. 


Note  E. — The  Lukenye. 

It  is  as  yet  (March  1888)  uncertain  where  the  Lukenye  debouches. 
That  there  is  such  a  river  the  reports  of  Portuguese  traders,  and 
the  partial  exploration  by  Lieut.  Kund  of  the  Berlin  African  Explo- 
ration Society,  sufficiently  demonstrate.  If  it  joins  the  Kasai  at 
all  as  an  independent  stream — and  I  believe  that  I  am  justilicd 
in  saying  that  Lieut.  Kund  is  of  opinion  that  it  does — it  must  join 


i8o  APPENDIX. 


it  at  this  point  (Mount  Pogge)  and  at  none  other.  It  is  just  possible, 
however,  that  the  river  which  Mr.  Stanley  observed  issuing  into  the 
Nzali  Mpini  on  its  left  bank  shortly  before  he  discovered  Lake 
Leopold  IL,  and  which  in  his  chart  he  would  identify  with  the 
Kasai — the  magnitude  of  which  stream  he  must  have  underrated 
enormously — is  the  Lukeny^.  But  there  is  more  than  one  curious 
point  connected  with  Lake  Leopold  II.  which  from  its  discovery  has 
remained  unsolved,  and  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  by  far  the  greater 
portion  of  what  its  discoverer  calls  its  southern  (really  eastern)  shore 
should  prove  to  be  a  vast  island  contained  between  the  lake  and  a 
lacustrine  river  leaving  it  wliere  Mr.  Stanley  notes  "  submerged  forest " 
or  "submerged  laud,"  and  coming  out  into  the  Nzali  Mpini,  where  I 
have  remarked  that  it  may  be  barely  possible  that  the  Lukenye  dis- 
charges its  waters. 

Note  F. — Basongo  Meno. 

In  employing  this  designation  for  the  wild  tribes  upon  the  Kasai, 
I  must  explain  that  I  am  perfectly  well  aware  that  there  is  no  people 
or  nation  to  whom  the  term  specially  applies,  and  that  the  term  itself 
(of  Bakongo  origin)  simply  describes  a  people  with  filed  or  broken  teeth  : 
in  point  of  fact,  the  designation  has  been  used  for  tribes  otherwise  very 
dissimilar  and  inhabiting  the  Aruwhimi  region.  I  use  it  faute  de 
mieux  because  others  use  it,  and  because  it  is  convenient  to  have  some 
general  term  for  those  nearly  related  tribes  inhabiting  the  banks  of  the 
Middle  Kasai,  and  who,  however  much  they  may  differ  from  each  other, 
differ  still  more  from  their  Wabuma  and  Bayanzi  neighbours  on  the 
one  hand,  and  the  Bakuba,  Shammatuka,  and  Bakete  on  the  other. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  know  very  little  about  them  indeed,  and 
despite  the  pretentious  divisions  and  nomenclature  of  the  recently 
published  Gotha  map,  we  can  know  but  very  little  about  them  for  an 
indefinite  period  to  come.  They  certainly  are  not  kin  to  the  Bangalas 
of  the  Congo,  though  I  myself  hold  that  they  are  closely  connected, 
if  not  identical,  with  the  Tucongo,  and  have  consequently  a  south- 
eastern origin.  If  anybody  knows  anything  at  all  about  these  people, 
it  is  Dr.  Wolf,  who  has,  I  believe,  a  theory  of  his  own  upon  the  sub- 


APPENDIX.  i8i 


ject — a  theory,  however,  with  which  I  am  not  acquainted.  As  to  the 
names  and  allotments  of  these  tribes  and  districts  as  given  in  the  map 
above  referred  to,  all  I  can  say  is  that  they  are  nearly  all  Ki-Swahili 
names,  manifestly  given  by  Zanzibaris  to  inquiring  geographers  either 
in  description  or  derision  of  the  people  to  whom  they  are  applied  ;  e.g., 
"Muana  Makima"  =  >S'o?is  of  monkeys  ;  "Ben-ngonde"  =  3foons( ruck  folk. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  however  much  akin  Ki-Swahili  is  to  some 
languages  of  Oongoland,  it  has  no  practical  connection  whatever  with 
those  of  the  Basongo  Meno,  Tu  Congo,  or  Shammatuka  tribes. 


Note  G. —  Vermin  and  Household  Pests. 

The  mosquitos  that  emanated  from  the  lagoon  at  Luebo  were  a 
serious  annoyance  in  the  station,  as  were  also  swarms  of  midges.  We 
were  plagued  with  multitudes  of  house-flies,  and  the  common  man- 
grove fly,  a  blood  relation  to  the  horse-fly  or  clegg  of  our  northern 
British  moors,  was  numerous.  There  were  a  few  tarantula  spiders, 
scorpions  both  black  and  grey,  chiefly  the  latter,  centipedes,  tliough 
rare,  hornets  of  three  different  kinds,  and  a  species  of  wasp  building  in 
the  houses.  In  the  station  itself  there  were  no  white  ants,  though 
there  was  an  abundance  of  them  close  at  hand,  and  we  rarely  had  any 
snakes  inside  our  palisades  :  mice  and  rats  were  also  uncommon.  We 
had  no  chigoes — the  chigger  of  the  West  Indies — but  doubtless  they 
are  by  this  time  introduced  at  Luebo,  along  with  civilisation,  from  the 
coast.  It  is  said  that  they  die  out  in  places  which  they  have  infested 
for  twenty  years. 


Note  H. — Udamha  Song. 

The  song  most  commonly  sung  during  the  Ihiamba  smoking  at 
nights  in  the  Lubuku  towns  is  a  short  and  extremely  simple  melody, 
taken  up  indiscriminately  by  men  and  women,  some  singing  the  air, 
while  others  sustain  a  rude  liarmony  or  beat  time  on  the  tom-toms. 
Occasionally  it  seemed  to  me  that  (doubtless  by  accident)  the  voices 
were  singing  the  melody  in  canon.     Subsequently,  on  writing  it  down, 


APPENDIX. 


I  saw  that  my  ear  had  not  deceived  me :  the  repeat  occurs  in  the  sixth 
bar.     It  may  be  noted  as  follows  : — 


Con  spirito. 


Voce. 


Tymp. 


=^-d=:zMz 


h«l=it 


:=q=1: 


jM=^ 


:^: 


M'lengi       moio,  Bwdl^         moio,         Banto,  zito         n'dei, 


S: 


:f=f^ 


1=: 


M'lengi        moio, 


I3=§^ 


It 


m 


-h — I — 1-- 

r9 ^ wzl-  - 


I 


:^te 


M'lengi 


Bwel^ 


zito        n'dei, 


:f=i=^ 


moio  Bvv^ld 


g^ 


Bw^le  moio,  Banto 


zito 


n'dei 


Bw^l^         moio, 


ZftZT-fZ 


f:=^=ftr 


:f^:ft:tf:=:~r:fz 


I 


fLi^ftrhezz^ez 


t=t 


%: 


n'dei.      M'lengi      moio,      Bwel^ 


:^=P 


eI 


:^ 


^=P: 


giigi^ 


-   &c. 


Its  performance  takes  place  after  the  Ivinsu  has  made  one  or  two 
rounds,  and  is  prefaced  by  a  prelude  of  drumming  in  strict  time  on  the 
tom-toms  (ndunga).  A  man  starts  up  and  delivers  in  wild  recitative 
a  rhythmical  verse  or  verses  upon  topical  subjects  of  the  day.  The 
verse  is  destitute  of  rhyme — I  question  much  whether  the  Bashilange 
have  any  idea  of  rhyme — and  is  delivered  in  monotone  to  the  accompani- 


APPENDIX.  183 


ment  of  the  toiu-toms.  At  a  point  in  their  recitative  the  chorus  break 
in,  the  women  generally  leading  off,  and  the  refrain  is  repeated  and 
kept  up  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period ; — the  words  being  pure  rubbish. 
Those  given  above  simply  mean, "  Welcome,  brethren,  welcome  heartily ; 
with  us  all  men  are  kin."  Then  another  reciter  stands  forth  probablv 
less  coherent  in  his  utterances  than  the  former,  and  the  performance  is 
repeated  and  repeated,  together  with  the  concomitant  smoking,  cough- 
ing, and  screeching,  literally  usq7ie  ad  nauseam.  I  ought  to  observe  that 
in  the  above  "  score  "  the  second  part  is  written  in  the  bass  cleff  for 
convenience  of  distinction  merely. 

Note  J. — Luluku. 

Lubuku  may  be  described  as  a  secret  society  or  organisation  of 
which  the  Bashilange-Baluba  king  is  ex  officio  the  head,  but  it  is 
primarily  a  social  organisation,  and  only  indirectly  of  political  import- 
ance. I  call  it  a  secret  society,  not  only  because  its  rules,  regulations, 
signs,  and  working  are  secret,  but  because  the  very  aims  and  objects  of 
its  existence  are  unknown  to  outsiders,  while  its  initiatory  rites  have 
never  (despite  many  pretences  to  the  contrary)  been  witnessed  by  an 
uninitiated  person  or  revealed  to  an  European.  Certain  external 
evidences  of  its  inward  nature  are,  however,  sufficiently  obvious  to 
all  who  care  to  investigate  the  subject.  One  thing  it  does  not  effect, 
and  that  is  anything  tangible  in  the  way  of  philanthropy.  On  the 
contrary,  the  Ihiamba  smoking  whicli  it  encourages  has  a  most  disas- 
trous effect  on  both  the  health  and  wealth  of  its  devotees  and  the  villages 
they  inhabit.  A  dark  inference  as  to  its  true  nature  may  be  drawn 
from  the  lax,  and,  indeed,  promiscuous  intercourse  which  it  promotes 
between  the  sexes,  for  although  Lubuku  does  not  profess  to  interfere 
with  marriage  as  an  institution,  yet  by  its  establishing  a  conunuuily  of 
wives  (and  consequently  of  husbands,  for  the  sexes  are  treated  on  an 
equality)  amongst  its  members,  it  saps  the  very  foundations  of  social 
propriety.  Another  indication  of  its  licentious  nature  is  afforded  by 
the  customs  observed  at  the  marriages  of  its  male  members,  and  repeated 
for  three  successive  nights,  in  which  all  decency  is  outraged  m  the 
most  revolting  and  most  public  way  imaginable.     The  initiator}-  rites 


i84 


APPENDIX. 


of  the  society  are  performed  generally  by  the  King  or  by  Meta  Sau- 
kolla  on  an  islet  in  the  Lulua  a  short  distance  above  Luluabiirg,  but, 
as  I  have  observed  above,  what  those  rites  may  be  nobody  knows. 
There  are  no  funereal  ceremonies  observed  at  the  death  or  burial  of  a 
member  of  this  fraternity,  but  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  obsequies  of 
any  kind  are  unknown  amongst  the  Bashilange,  although,  in  common 
with  most  African  races,  and  unlike  the  Basongo  Meno,  who  utilise 
the  bodies  of  departing  relatives,  they  bury  their  dead  with  all  requi- 
site decency. 

Note  K. — Tevij^cratiire,  dx.,  during  the  Wet  and  Dry  Seasons  at  Luebo. 

Average  of  Barometer  Eeadings  at  Luebo. 

Barometer  (Uolosteric)  Station,  1650  feet  over  sea-level. 


Month. 

7  A.M. 

2  P.M. 

9  P.M. 

July  (dry)  .... 
August  (dry) 
October  (wet) 
November  (wet) 

1      734-25 
1      734-5 

735-0 
733-25 

734-75 

732-75 

Thermometer  Readings  at  Luebo. 

Centigrade  Thermometers  by  Greiner  tt  Son,  Berlin. 


Month. 

7  A.M. 

2  P.M. 

9  P.M. 

July 

August        .... 
October       .... 
November  .... 

j        19-5 
]       22.5 

30-5 
36-5 

23-5 

25.5 

Highest  point  reached  in  months  ^  ^    ^, 
°         ^  (  October  . 

Lowest  point  reached  in  months  <  J^  ^, 

^  I  October  . 

Prevailing  Avinds  during  the  day  (dry  season) 

„  „         „     (wet  season) 

„  „     night  (dry  season) 

„  ,,         ,,     (wet  season) 


35-5 

40.5 

17-5 

21.75 

S.S.E.  &  S.  1  E. 

S.E.  &  E.S.E. 

N.N.W.  &  N.  1  E. 

W.N.^Y.  &  W.'i  N. 


APPENDIX.  185 


The  rainy  season  begins  about  the  second  week  in  September,  and 
continues  variably  until  the  third  week  of  April.  Heavy  rains  com- 
mence in  November,  and  last  about  six  weeks,  being  accompanied  by 
severe  thunderstorms  and  tornados.  The  rivers  are  at  their  highest 
level  in  March,  and  lowest  in  August.  Altogether  the  climate  is 
extremely  damp,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  excellent  air-tight  uniform- 
cases  supplied  to  me  by  Messrs.  Silver  of  Cornhill  (whose  travellers' 
and  explorers'  requisites  I  can  thoroughly  recommend),  not  only  would 
all  my  papers  have  perished,  but  I  should  have  been  destitute  of  cloth- 
ing long  before  my  term  of  service  at  Luebo  had  expired. 


MAP 

of  the   navijgatle    porlloiis    of  tlie 

SvASAI    MiVEai 


e.g.  L\TROBE   BATE  MAN. 


n 


INDEX. 


A. 


Acacias,  13,  132,  and  Appendix  C. 

African  servants,  Appendix  A. 

Alligators,  59,  79,  155. 

Ambakistas,  125. 

Anibrizette,  Appendix  C. 

Andersson,  Liexit.,  4,  52,  103. 

Angelus,  the,  at  Kwamouth,  173- 

Angola,  2,  46,  163. 

Angolese,  ride  En  Avant  crew,  and  125. 

Ant-bear,  155. 

Antelopes,  13,  154,  155. 

Ants,  155. 

Apes,  132,  155.  '  . 

Aquatic  birds,  53,  59. 

Arabs,  94. 

Arachis,  vide  Ground-nut. 

Arms  (Basongo-Meno),  41. 

Arts,  34,  73. 

B. 

Bailunda,  22,  23,  82. 
Bakari,  Appendix  A. 
Bakete,  19,  22,  23. 

chiefs  as  allies,  145. 

described,  68. 

industries,  69-73. 

hunting,  152,  153. 

hunters,  accident  to,  149,  1 50. 

plantations,  68. 

Bakuba,  21,  22,  54. 

cloth,  21. 

fishermen,  56. 

head-dress,  54. 

misunderstanding  with,  142   I46. 

Bakvveiigi  Babiaha,  22,  57. 
Baluba,  19. 

and  Bakuba,  an  incident,  55. 

Bashilange,  19,  20. 

Chipluniba,  63,  64,  105. 

Balungu,  23,  123,  124. 
Bambangala,  154. 
Bamboo  (creeping),  1 3,  13 1. 
Banana,  lOl. 


Bananas,  16,  34,  45,  147. 
Banyhn,  69,  and  Appendix  C. 
Baobab,  5,  and  Appendix  C. 
Bashilange,  vide  Baluba. 
Basongo-Meno,  17,  39,  an<l  Appendix  F. 

arts  and  utensils,  40. 

houses,  37,  41. 

language    not   understood   by    inter- 
preters or  by  Baluba,  42. 

women  and  youth,  42. 

Bateke,  8. 

Bats,  25,  132,  149,  153. 

Batua  Bankonko,  23,  68,  85,  145- 

Batua  Basinji,  23. 

Bayanzi,  24. 

canoe  incident,  S. 

Beans,  142. 

Beetroot,  1 4  2. 

Bellows,  curious  Basongo-Meno,  44. 

Benguela,  78. 

Beni  Kashia,  64,  105,  134-137. 

Beni  Muamba,  106,  128- 1 30. 

Beni  Ndumba,  126,  127. 

Bibuko,  27,  28. 

Bihanos,  156,  157. 

Bihe,  157. 

Biniba,  166. 

Biombe,  64,  164-167. 

Bittern,  132. 

Bombax,  13,  and  Appendix  C. 

Boa-constrictor,  155. 

Borassus  palm,  45. 

Bosjie-Massari,  31,  32. 

I'ufTalous,  38,  131,  132 

Bugslag,  Herr,  2,  107, 

Bull-frogs,  133. 

I'ullock,  an  eccentric,  loS. 

liurning  brandy,  an  incident,  120. 

Busii-pig,  155. 


Cabhage,  69,  142. 

Calemba,  2,  4,67,   112,  1 15    119,  164,  165. 
and  Appendix  J. 


.  153.  «54- 
109,  121. 


i88 


INDEX. 


Cameron,    Commander,    R.N.,    69    (foot- 
note', 78,  124,  157. 
Camwood,  Appendix  C. 
Camp  above  laterite  cliffs  (i6th  Oct.),  34. 

at  Beni-Kashia,  105,  134-137. 

at  Be!ii-Muamba,  129,  130. 

at  Bosjie-Massari,  31. 

at  ChinyaTiia,  107. 

at  Chitabo  on  Miaw,  107. 

at  deserted  fishin(r-villa<ce  on  Lulua, 

59-60. 

at  deserted   town  beyond  Beni  Mu- 

amba,  106. 

at  deserted  town  beyond  Musisi,  106. 

at  deserted  Wabnma  fishing-town,  25. 

at  Gates  of  the  Pool,  5, 

at  Ibani,  173. 

at  Luangi  mouth,  45,  46, 

at  last  borassus  palm,  45. 

at  Mallag6h5nd,  28. 

at  Mbembo,  25. 

at  Musskwa  (scene  of  wreck),  7-9. 

at  Nganebecca,  30. 

at  Sankoro  mouth,  49-53. 

near    deserted    village    (17th    Oct.), 

35- 

on  island  (22nd  Oct.),  39. 

on  island  (23rd,  24th,  and  25th  Oct.), 

39-43- 
on  island  (2nd  Nov.),  54. 

on  Nov.  3rd,  55, 

on  Nov.  4th,  56. 

on  Oct.  i8th,  35. 

on  Oct.  19th  and  20th,  35,  36. 

on  Oct.  26th,  44. 

on  sandbank  in  Lulua,  57,  5S. 

opposite  Macan,  11. 

opposite  Maliva,  II-13. 

opposite  Mount  Pogge,  36,  37. 

Canoe-building,  Senhor  Carvalho's,  168. 
Canoes  destroyed,  44. 

Cape  hunting-dog,  154, 

Carvalho,   Senhor  A.   L.  de,  history  &c., 

81-86,  88,  89,  103,  142,  143. 

in  charge  of  Luebo,  139,  140,  160. 

letter,  86-88. 

parting  with,  170. 

trade  prospects,  168,  169. 

Cassava,  vide  Manioc. 
Castellated  rocks,  27. 
Caxavalla,  Silva  da  Costa,  Senhor  Manoel, 

120-123. 
Celery,  142. 
Chienvu,  159. 
Chigoes,  Appendix  G. 
Chikabo,  105,  135-137,  160,  164. 
Chikumba,  51. 


Chilunga  Meso,  1 16-124,  159. 

Chinyama,  107. 

Chipaka,  51. 

Chiplumba  tribes  and  country,  63,  64. 

Chissengen^ne,  72. 

Christmas  festivities,  75,  76. 

Chitabo,  107. 

Qicada,  132. 

Civets,  154. 

Comber,  Rev.  T.  J.,  29  (footnote). 

Congolemosch,  ill,  115,  159. 

Congo  Manena,  19,  58,  67. 

Cottonwood  tree,  97,  and  Appendix  C 

Cotton,  142. 

Courts-martial,  77. 

Cowbirds,  38. 

Custodio,  Senr.,  vide  Souza-Machado. 


D. 


Dancing,  75,  76. 

Darling,  Rev.  F.  C. ,  29  (footnote). 

Debinga  Debeha,  1 61-163. 

Descent  of  Kasa'i,  vide  Wissmann,  Lieut. 

Dogs,  Bakete,  73,  152,  153. 

Domingos,  Jao,  160- 1 63. 

"  Dover  Cliffs,"  5. 

Draining  (plantations),  141. 


E. 

Eagles,  155. 

Earth-pig,  "Ardvaak,"  155. 
Egyptian  geese,  53,  155. 
Eland,  36,   155. 
Elephant-apple,  Appendix  C. 
Elephants,  95,  154. 
En  Avcuit  aground,  55. 
crew,  3. 

disabled,  lOO. 

late,  45,  57. 

f>n  Sankoro,  93. 

wrecked,  5,  6. 


r. 


Falls,  Luebo,  loi,  103,  104,  138,  149- 
152. 

Lulua,  17,  61. 

Wissmann,  104. 

Farinha  de  manioc,  72. 

Fetishes  at  cross-roads,  114,  115  (foot- 
note). 

at  Kimeh,  171. 


INDEX. 


189 


Fetishism,  20,  21,  II4,  1 15. 
Fireworks,  146. 
Fish  (Liilua),  59. 
Fish-eagles,  59. 
Fishermen,  vide  Bakuba. 
Forest,  description  of  the,  12,  13,  and  Ap- 
pendix C. 
Forest,  camp  in  the,  131- 133. 

G. 

Game,  13,  36,  132,  133,  154,  155. 

Gankabe,  27. 

Gates  of  the  Pool,  5. 

Goat-sucker,  132. 

Gomez,  108. 

Gourds,  142. 

Grazing  land,  1 27,  1 28. 

Grenadilha.s,  142. 

Grenfell,  Rev.  G.,  1 00. 

Greshoff,  Meinheer,  loO. 

Ground-nut,  68,  142. 

oil,  167,  16S. 

Guinea-fowl,  155. 

H. 

"  HARNESS-back  "  antelope,  109,  155. 
Heronry  at  fishing-town,  25. 
Hippopotami,  35. 
Hippopotamus  collides  with  Stanley,  56. 

traps,  53. 

Hospitalities,  official,  77. 

Howitzer,  92. 

Humba,  40,  93. 

Hunters,  vide  Bakete. 

Hunting,  vide  Bakete. 

Huts  at  Shammatuka  fishing-town,  60. 

Hyenas,  133,  154. 


Ibis,  155. 

Ichneumon,  1 54,  1 55. 

Iguana,  155. 

Interpreter,  importance  of  office  of,  121. 

Iron,  native,  how  obtained,  35. 

Ivory,  trade  in,  83-85. 

transmission  of,  88,  168. 

■ value  of,  85. 


K 


Kabao,  85,  86. 
Kabembc,  162. 
Kafinga.  79,  80. 
Kalanibai  town,  127. 

stream,  127, 

valley,  126. 

Kalonda,  164-167. 
Kampoto,  70. 
Kappasiero,  75. 

Kapuku  or  Muansangoma,  8r,  85,  88,  168. 
Kasai,  abortive  attempt  to  explore  Upper, 
100. 

contrasted  with  Sankoro.  50-52. 

exploration    above    confluence    with 

Lulua,  50,  51,  102. 

results  of  exploration,  104. 

Kashia-Caleniba,  no,  1 12. 

Kasongo,  123,  124,  164. 

Kassava,  vide  jNIanioc. 

Kassenge,  68,  69,  145. 

Kimeh  island,  170-171. 

Kimpoko,  5. 

Kinchasa,  3-5,  173. 

Kinsu  dhiamba,  106,  1 13. 

Kokoro,  28. 

Krafft,  Mons.  I'Abbe,  172. 

Kudu,  155. 

Kund,  Lieut.,  Appendix  E. 

Kusu-kusu,  Appendix  C. 

Kwa  or  Kwamuni,  i,  24,  25. 

Kwaraouth,  15,  16,  171-173. 

Kwango,  30,  2,'^,  and  Appendix  D. 


L. 

Lakombi,  87. 

Landslip  at  Beni-Kashia,  105. 

at  Ijeni-Muamba,  128. 

near  Xduniba,   12S. 

Legat,  Mons.,  169. 

Le  Marinel,  Lieut.,  103,  105,  164. 

Leopards,  154. 

L(5opold  II.,  Lake, 

Leopold ville,  2,  4,  173. 

Lettuce,  142. 

Leslie,  Dr.,  9,  25,  66. 

Lhiamba  (Cunnablx  fiulica),  40. 

smoking,  11 3- 1 14. 

song,  .\ppeiidix  H. 

Limo,  130,  130. 


and  Appendix  K. 


Jackals,  133,  154. 
Janssen,  Lieut.,  13. 
Jungle-cock,  131. 
Jungle-rat,  155. 


Livingstone,  Dr. 
Lizards,  155. 
Loandii,  84. 
Log-hut,  66,  67. 


I,  8j 


190 


INDEX. 


Lomanii,  $1,  94. 

Lombali,  51. 

Luangi,  45,  46,  84. 

Lubi,  51. 

Lubiranzi,  i,  95. 

Lubuije,  86. 

Lubuku,  106,  112,  114, 1 15,  and  Appendix  J. 

Luburi  or  Lubudi,  51,  86. 

Luebo  Falls,  loi,  103,  104,  138,  151,  152. 

fortifications  finished,  147. 

plantations,  141,  142,  147. 

river,  2,  51,  58,  61. 

station,  91,  92. 

storehouse  built,  74- 

Luisi,  106,  130. 

Lukash,  51. 

Lukenyd,  36,  and  Appendi.x  E. 

Lukenga  Manena,  158,  160. 

Lukwengo,  21,  22. 

Lulua,  2,  17,  20,  22,  51,  58. 

Falls,  61. 

fish,  59. 

survey,  143,  144,  147-I48. 

Luluaburg,   2,  64,  109,  IIO,  125,  162,  163, 
164,  165. 


M. 


Macar,   Monseigneur   le  Baron   de,    103, 

105,  163. 
Magic,  belief  in,  80,  115,  136,  150,  151. 
Magnolia,  13.  . 
Malange,  2,  83,  84. 
Mallagohond,  28. 
Mangangas,  69,  109. 
Mangrove  bush,  Appendix  C. 
Manioc,  68,  70-72. 

Manoel  and  the  candle,  an  incident,  45. 
Matchioko,   characteristics  of,  22,  23,   84, 

112,  115. 

intrigues  of,  1 64,  165. 

Matjainbo,  22,  82,  83. 

Mbaku,  132,  154. 

Mbeinbo,  25. 

Meta  Saiikolla,  112,  and  Appendix  J. 

Metempsychosis,  1 59. 

Miaw,  51,  107,  125,  126. 

Mimosas,  Appendix  C. 

Mirambo,  94. 

Mission,  American  Methodist,  5. 

Baptist,  loi. 

Catholic,  171-173. 

Mpinda  Nguba,  ride  Ground-nut. 
Mponde,  vide  Sorghum. 
Moero,  Lake,  83. 
Mohaniadi,  145,  166. 
Monteiro,  Senr.,  Appendix  C. 


Mosquitos,  Appendix  G. 

Msuata,  13. 

Mtama,  ride  Sorghum. 

Mualo,  Appendix  A. 

Muanamput,  107. 

IMuansangoma,  51,  81,  84,  88,  102. 

Muata  Nzig(5,  102. 

Mukanu,  129. 

Muleo,  24. 

Mummy-pea,  69  (footnote). 

Musisi,  106,  128,  130,  133. 

Musjie,  27. 

N. 

Nganebecca,  30. 

Ngombe  Ngolle,  vide  Bambangala. 
Niapara,  vide  Mohaniadi. 
Night  in  the  forest,  131-133. 
Night  on  the  Kasai,  47,  48. 
Nimptsch,  Herr  Baron  von,  100. 
Nkaka,  59. 
Nkule,  30. 
Nyamweze,  94. 

Nzali  Mpini,  i,   27,  33,   104,  and  Appen- 
dix E. 

O. 

Okras,  142. 

Olsen,  Mr.,  4,  35,  40,  42. 

Oncas,  154. 

Onions,  127,  142. 

Orchilla,  132,  and  Appendix  C. 

Orchids,  Appendix  C. 

Otters,  154. 

P. 

Palji-wixe,  45,  57  (footnote). 
Panther,  154. 

Paper-making,  Appendix  C. 
Parrot,  King,  98. 

Mr.  Vander  Felson's,  10,  ir. 

Parrots,  wild,  155. 

Partridge,  155. 

Pavilion  at  Luebo  (how  built),  91-92. 

Pea-nut,  vide  Ground-nut. 

Peace,  SS.,  100,  102,  104. 

Pigeons,  155. 

Pine-apples,  142. 

Pioko,  109. 

Pipe-clay,  74  (footnote). 

Plantain-eaters,  155. 

Plantains,  37,  147. 

Plantations,  Kassenge,  68,  69,  lOi 

Luebo,  140-142. 


INDEX. 


191 


Plantations,  Luluabnrcr,  no. 
Pogge,  Dr.,  I,  S3,  S4.  " 

Expedition,  i. 

Mount,  36,  37,  and  Appendix  E. 

Ponde,  vide  Sorghum. 
Porcupine,  155. 
Potatoes,  sweet,  68. 

Q. 

Quail,  155. 

Queens,  Wabunia,  27. 

Zinga,  91. 

R. 

Rapids,  vide  Falls. 

Rats,  59,  155. 

Redwood,  Appendix  C. 

Roadmaking,  92,  147. 

Route  survey  (Luluaburg  to  Luebo),  125- 

13S. 
Routine,  daily,  76,  77. 
Royal,  SS.,  9. 


S. 


Sakfu,  vide  Banyan. 

Salt,  how  extracted,  72. 

Sanford  Expedition,  169,  170. 

— — •  General,  169. 

Sankoro  contrasted  with  Kasai,  51,  52. 

explored,  93-95. 

mouth,  5 1 . 

Sappoo  Sahib,  94. 

Saturnino,  Senhor,  vide  Souza-Machado. 

Saulez,  Captain,  2. 

Scenery  on  Congo,  13,  and  Appendix  B. 

Schneider,  Mr.,  4,  45,  65,  67,  79,  93  (foot- 
note). 

Schwerin,  Monseigneur  le  Baron  de,  103, 
104. 

Shainrnatuka,  22,  57,  59-60,  64. 

Sibissi,  155. 

Slaves,  trading  in,  84,  85,  I57- 

Snakes,  155. 

Songo  Nzadi,  59- 

Sorghum,  142. 

Souza-Machado,  Senhor  Custodio,  82-84. 

Senhor  Saturnino,  81,  84,  86,  88-90, 

102. 

Spear-grass,  128. 

Spur-winged  plover,   133. 

Squirrel,  species  of,  155. 

Stanley,  Mr.  H.  M.,  I,  13,  and  Appendix  E. 

Stanley  Pool,  4,  5,  1 73. 

Stanley,  SS.,  accident  to,  in  descending 
Kasai,  170. 


Stank)/,  SS.,  passes  En  Arant,  9. 

incidents  during  ascent  of  Ka.sai,  39, 

42,  45.  47.  49,  55,  56. 

leaves  Luebo,  65. 

returns  to  Luebo  and  departs,    103, 

105. 

returns  again  in  December,  169. 

crew  and  passengers,  4. 

Storehouse,  how  built,  73,  74. 
Sukabu,  Appendix  C. 
Sunday,  how  observed,  78. 
Surprises,  agreeable,  96,  97. 
Swinburne,  Mr.,  9,  173. 


Tanhaxvka,  124. 
Taunt,  Lieut.,  169,  173. 
Teak-tree,  Appendix  C. 
Theft  on  board  Staidcy,  55. 
Thunderstorm  at  Beni-Kashia,  an  iucidsut, 

135.  136. 
Tippoo  Tib,  94. 
Tobacco,  69,  70. 
Tomatos,  142,  172. 
Tortoise,  155. 
Toucans,  155. 
Trade  prospects  of  riverine,  169. 

expedition,  169,  170. 

Travellers'-tree,  13. 

Tributaries  of  Kasai  and  Sankoro,  51. 

Troup,  IMr.  J.  R.,  2,  9. 

Ts^ts^   128. 

Tucongo,  22,  84. 

Turnips,  142. 


U. 


I'l.UN'GU,   124.   164. 

Uruki  or  Buriiki,  I,  95. 
Utensils,  Bakote,  72. 
Basongo-Meno,  40. 


Vallkv,  Luebo,  105. 

Musisi,  106. 

Vangele,  Captain,  I  73. 
Vander  Kelson,  Mr.,  3. 

atfects  sandbanks,  55,  56. 

at  Luebo,  65,  67. 

farewell  and  death,  I  or. 

goe.s  with   l>r.  Wolf  to  tiip  Sankoro, 

79- 

ill  with  fever,  35. 

leaves  with  Dr.  Wolf  for  Ka-soi,  100. 


192 


INDEX. 


Vander  Felson,  loses  his  parrot,  10. 

i-ecovers  his  health,  45. 

recriminative,  7. 

returns  with  many  parrots,  97-98. 

• taken   down   to  Leopoldville  in    the 

Peace,  10 1. 
Vermin,  155,  and  Appendix  G. 

W. 

Waal,  Mr.,  4. 

Wabuina  fishing-town,  25,  26. 

Waders,  59,  155. 

Walker,  Mr.,  3,  7,  9,  10,  11,  65. 

War- scare,  145,  146. 

Water  or  reed  buck,  155. 

Waterhen,  155. 

Whaleboat,  17,  37,  39,  52,  lOO. 

refitted,  102. 

Whitew.ash,  74,  and  footnote. 

Wild  duck,  53,  155. 

Winton,  Sir  Francis  de,  K.C.M.G.,  4,  9. 

Wissmann  Falls,  104. 

Wissniann,  Lieut.,  I,  2,  and  Appendi.x  C. 

accident  at  the  Pioko,  109. 

discovery  and  descent  of  Kasai,  17-19. 

expedition  referred  to,  39,  44,  ill. 

explores  Kasai  above  confluence  with 

Lulua,  104,  105. 

goes  to  Luluaburg  with  Dr.  Wolf,  102. 

native  name  given  to,  1 59. 

receives  embassy  from  Ulungu,  124. 

receives  Congolemosch's  homage,  ill, 

112. 

• returns  from  Madeira,  100. 

returns  to  Luebo  via  Muansangonia, 

102. 

sets  out  for  Ulungu,  164. 

starts  for  east  cc^ast  (16/11/86),  170. 


Wissmann,  Lieut.,  starts  for  Luluaburg, 
105. 

visits  Calemba,  112. 

visited  by  Chilunga  Meso,  117,  118. 

Witchcraft,  vkle  Magic. 

Wolf,  Herr  Dr.,  2,  4,  65,  and  Appendix  F. 

at  Sankoro  mouth,  52. 

at  scene  of  En  Avani's  wreck,  9. 

at  Wabuma  heronry,  25. 

designs  the  log-house,  66. 

goes  to  Luluaburg,  67. 

goes  to  Luluaburg  with  Wissmann, 

102. 

his  exploration  of  Sankoro  sum- 
marised, 95. 

in  Basongo-Meno  country,  36-39,  42, 

leaves  in  En  Avant  for  the  Sankoro, 

79- 

leaves  again  to  explore  Kasai,  99-100. 

leaves  on  board  Stanley  for  Europe, 

105. 

returns  for  the  New  Year,  78. 

returns  to  Luebo,  100. 

returns    to   Luebo,   and    leaves    with 

Wissmann  to  explore  Kasai,  102. 

returns  to  Luebo,  104. 

returns  on  board  the  Peace,  loi. 

Wooding,  28,  29. 
Wreck,  vide  En  Avant, 


Yam,  wild,  how  prepared,  70. 

Z. 

Zanzibar,  102. 

Zanzibaris,  vide  En  Avant  crew. 

Zingas   S9-91. 


University  of 


r-' 


AA    000  926  906    9 


